


Karasuno's Managers: Little Ukai and the Vulnerable

by bokutoxbeam



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aobajousai, Coming of Age, F/M, Fanfiction, Gen, Inarizaki, Itachiyama, Karasuno, Manga & Anime, Teen Romance, Teenagers, anime fanfiction
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-21
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:27:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 55,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27128536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bokutoxbeam/pseuds/bokutoxbeam
Summary: "So, what? You want a refund on your feelings?"*Book 2 of the Series*
Relationships: Kageyama Tobio/OC, Kindaichi Yuutaro/OC, Kunimi Akira/OC, Miya Atsumu/OC, Miya Osamu/OC, Sakusa Kiyoomi/Oc, Tsukishima Kei/Oc
Comments: 76
Kudos: 36





	1. Summary

An opportunity to share your leadership skills with a powerhouse school... The Manager Convention!

Emiko Suzuki and Mirae Ando are two of Karasuno's most treasured managers. Just ask the Protect the Managers Squad. They are irreplaceable assets who have helped pave a path to Nationals for their team.

For the next two weeks, they'll have to entrust it all to Hitoka Yachi and represent their school in this rare opportunity.

Emiko Suzuki will have to bite back sarcasm and filter her dramatic attitude. Having lost to Karasuno the year before, Inarizaki is out for blood and Little Ukai is making an easy target.

At Itachiyama, Mirae Ando is doing somewhat better. She's a volleyball prodigy known for her skills and beauty and falls under the attention she so desperately sought to avoid.

At the National Tournament both girls must hold up their professional attitudes but the runaway's past confronts her with cameras, old friends, and enemies alike.

The flames of love are starting to dwindle amidst the chaos.

This is the story of Little Ukai and the Vulnerable. 

| OC x Various Haikyuu!! | Humour | Love Triangles | Slow Burn | Adventure |

*Also available on Wattpad under @bokutobeam*


	2. Character Profiles

* * *

* * *

* * *

* * *


	3. The Smaller One and the Misidentified

The twins were at it again.

Osamu Miya used his brother's weight against him for the takedown. He smirked and braced for impact, shifting on his legs to flip their bodies. They went crashing, he pinned his brother face-down with an arm under his throat. He clenched his jaw, growling as he tightened his hold.

Atsumu Miya scoffed. He relaxed his body and even went so far as raising his hands. The second he felt his brother's hold loosen, though, he threw his head back with enough force to stun him.

Osamu cried out and held his jaw. Atsumu scrambled away.

It was a typical day in the Inarizaki volleyball gymnasium.

"Should we stop them?"

Rintaro Suna held his arm out and stopped the newest first year that joined their club, a small boy named Yukio. He had switched out from another sport and despite what their Coach said, the team knew he was here as an errand boy.

"Word of advice," Suna said as he side glanced, "never get in the middle of that. Let them fight it out. They'll stop eventually."

Beside him, Hitoshi Ginjima pinched the bridge of his nose. He could not even begin to understand what their Coach was thinking when he elected the Miya twins for the roles of captain and vice-captain. Sure, they were the best players on the team and given how their first and second years were mostly introverted and reserved, the team probably needed to be led by passionate and loud personalities.

For better or for worse, the Miyas were exactly that.

"Yer breath stinks like dog shit!"

"Oh ho, ho," Osamu mocked, "wouldn'tcha know what dog shit smells like."

"Shut yer trap."

They circled each other like a pair of predators.

Suna's finger hovered over the recording button on his phone so he could capture the exact moment they lunged at each other's throats. The tension was cut by the groaning sound of the gym doors.

Coach Kurosu walked in. "Oi!" he clapped his hands, "I've got some news, crowd 'round. Miyas, fight it out on yer own time."

Ginjima turned to Suna and before the other had a chance to cheat on babysitting duty, he blurted, "Yer turn."

Suna cursed and grabbed Atsumu by the arm. He tugged him to the far left side of the bench and pushed him down. "No looking until the meeting's over," he deadpanned.

Atsumu buried his head in his lap, ensuring that everyone heard his annoyed groan.

Ginjima pointed to the far-right side of the bench. "Ya know the drill."

Osamu slapped a hand over his mouth.

"See no evil, say no evil," their previous Captain had supplied after they had spammed his phone with messages begging for his help. And so, the strategy was adopted to take away one of their senses. Atsumu could not see his brother's facial expressions. Osamu could not grumble a retort. 

Coach Kurosu gave them a grateful smile and then turned his attention to the rest of the team that was huddled on the ground.

"Our team's been asked to participate in a new program introduced by the Japanese Sports' Association. It's an initiative to encourage students to take on more active roles in the management of sports teams. Inarizaki doesn't have team managers like most so we're going to be hostin' one from another school. By this time next year, our volleyball team will have managers too. Now, she'll be here for twelve days. Mrs. Suna from the parent's committee has volunteered to care for this student, so be sure to give her yer thanks."

Suna raised his hand and pointed a finger to the ceiling. "That's right. My Ma is amazing."

Ginjima rolled his eyes. "Okay. Who we gettin'?"

"Well, we get a choice. We've been paired up with Karasuno High from the Miyagi prefecture-"

The twins jumped to their feet.

"Karasuno?" Osamu frowned. His hands clenched into fists by his side.

Atsumu's eyes narrowed into slits. "Karasuno."

Coach Kurosu eyed them and stepped away. He cleared his throat and continued.

"Thing is, they've got two managers participatin' in this program. I thought we could put it to a team vote and decide which one we'd like to help us out."

"The smaller one." Osamu and Atsumu jumped onto the bench. They shared a look and nodded. "We don't need to vote."

Ginjima whipped his head towards them. His neck popped at the sudden action and he groaned. 

Suna snorted.

"I beg yer pardon?" Coach asked in bewilderment. He pulled on both his ears.

"The smaller one."

"We want the smaller one, Coach."

"Is there a reason for that?"

"Its gotta be the smaller one." Atsumu crossed his arms over his chest, pointing a glare at the rest of the team. "If we're gonna tear Karasuno apart at nationals, the smaller one'll be easier to break."

Osamu nodded. "I 'member from last year. She's a tiny little thing and was spazzin' all 'round. Breakin' her'll be easy. We can get all of Karasuno's secrets this way."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Ginjima protested as he stumbled to his feet, "we're not breakin' anyone. Specially not a manager from another school who's comin' to help us."

"Karasuno ain't another school. They're our sworn enemy."

"Tsumu's right, Gin. They shoulda thought twice before sendin' one of their own this way. What else are we supposed to do?"

"Be hospitable? Be professional?"

"Yer funny."

"Listen up," Atsumu slung an arm over his brother's shoulder, "Karasuno's gonna pay blood."

"We'll start with the smaller one." Osamu's grin was all teeth.

Their Coach frowned. The team was chanting to the twins' battle cry, all except for Suna, Ginjima, and the newest first-year who looked like he was going to cry.

Though both of Karasuno's managers seemed like worthy choices, Coach thought the team would have gone with the second option. Atsumu was, after all, a fanboy of hers.

Still, given Inarizaki's popularity on social media, perhaps this was the better choice. Coach turned around and left the gym, avoiding eye contact. He would need to put in a request for Emiko Suzuki: Karasuno's volleyball team manager, social media specialist.

After Ginjima had chased the first years out, he returned to find Suna. He believed they were the only third years left with any brain cells so it was up to the two of them to fix this mess before the Miyas really did demand blood retribution from the poor Karasuno girl.

"We should really talk about this before that manager-" he froze.

"-thought I was getting a break from sisters. You know, since Tomiko's leaving for her competition. Anyways, I wanted to ask how you deal with a sibling your age? Karasuno's manager will be staying with me for the week and I don't know how to treat her."

As he heard the conversation, his legs gave up on him. He fell to his knees and hit his head on the ground.

Osamu's eyes brightened. He called his brother over and related to him the question. Then, they both turned to their middle blocker.

"You've gotta wake 'em up each morning. Can't leave fer school without 'em."

"A pillow to the face always works just fine."

"You've gotta feed 'em too. If yer getting a snack, you get them a snack."

"The one that's expired though. Or under portion it." Atsumu grinned. "Or spit in it."

"You've gotta randomly scream their name out. Lets them know yer still there."

"Or jump at them when they're least expectin' it."

"Lock 'em outta the house."

"Hide their things."

Ginjima pushed himself between them. "Don't," he heaved, "don't do any of that! Why would you ask the Miyas for advice? I thought ya were smarter than that!"

"I am, thank you very much," he rolled his eyes. "She's close to our age and the twins are the only siblings I know close in age."

"Ya could've asked me!"

"Gin, yer sisters a preschooler, what kind of advice would'ja give?"

Osamu snorted. "Hold hands while ya cross the street?"

"Oh!" Atsumu cried, "that's another one. You've gotta push them in the middle of traffic, force 'em to run across."

Ginjima staggered backwards. The three of them were serious. He glanced at his hands and folded them as though saying a prayer. He could not even begin to understand how their upperclassmen Akagi, Oomimi, Aran, and Kita (especially Kita) had dealt with them.

Then he did pray because Karasuno's manager was most likely going to die.

"No."

"Sakusa-"

"No."

"Be reasonable-"

_"No."_

"Just hear me out."

"Absolutely not."

"Why are you acting like a child?"

Sakusa huffed. His brows pinched together and his nostrils flared. There was only so much emphasis he could put on his words without going on a repetitive tangent.

"This is Miya's doing," he blamed, "I don't know how but he's doing this on purpose. To mess with me. I won't give him the satisfaction."

"Miya?" his Coach frowned, "Atsumu Miya? You think Atsumu Miya, who goes to Inarizaki in a high school hours away from here and who probably hasn't thought once about you since nationals last year, you think that Atsumu Miya is doing this?"

He clenched his jaw and looked away, just then noticing that his cousin Motoya Komori was watching them curiously from the doorway.

"We finished cleaning the gym and I needed the key to lock up storage." He flashed them a smile, "What's up?"

Coach Iwasaki's face relaxed. "Finally, someone with half a brain cell more than this nut."

Sakusa glowered. Komori snickered.

"What's got him all moody this time?"

"Well, I found out which student we're matched with for the Manager Convention but Sakusa is objecting."

"Who'd we get matched with?"

"Ando, from the All Japan Tournament for Under 10."

"Ah," he grinned, "no wonder."

Sakusa grumbled, "She's a stuck-up-"

Komori rolled his eyes and cut-in, "so are you."

"Manipulative-"

"Sounds familiar."

"Egocentric-"

"The highlight of your personality."

"Child," he snapped, directing his glare at Komori. "I want nothing to do with her. We'll take the other one."

Coach Iwasaki buried his face in his hands. "How is it that a nameless social media specialist is more popular than _the_ Ando? I swear you kids and your TikTok are going to drive our country into ruin."

"Don't blame TikTok Coach," Komori grinned, "it's an educational platform."

Sakusa deadpanned. "The only education you get from watching TikToks is how to throw it back."

"It's still educational."

Coach dropped to his chair and sighed in his hands. "I won't lie, I did hope we'd get Suzuki. She could have helped a lot with our social media pages and how to prepare for interviews. Still, she and Ando are managers on the same team so I'm certain Ando will know these things too."

"Wait a minute," Komori frowned. He circled the desk and peered at the computer screen. "Isn't Ando a spiker in a high school in Yokohama? We literally saw her in last year's tournament. What's she doing as a manager?"

"She's trying to ruin my life," Sakusa retorted. He leaned over the desk and glared at Coach Iwasaki. "If she comes here I'm transferring to Fukurodani. There is no way I will accept Rina Ando at my school."

"Rina Ando?" Coach frowned. "Who said anything about Rina Ando? The student coming here is from the Miyagi prefecture. She goes to Karasuno high. Her name is Mirae Ando."

"What?" Sakusa's frown deepened. He stepped back, eyeing his Coach. "This is a joke. There is only one Ando in the volleyball world. It's that witch Rina. She must have changed her name."

"Right," Komori drawled. "Whatever, can I have the key so we can go home now?"

"I'm still not sure why Inarizaki was so adamant about taking Suzuki. Sure, they're popular but they're doing so well on their own with their fans and media attention. There must be an ulterior motive here."

"It's Miya," Sakusa pressed. "I'm telling you, Coach, he's coming after me. He wants to hurt me."

"Sakusa," Coach Iwasaki pinched the bridge of his nose, "go home. Go to sleep. Take your pills. Please, for the love of everything holy, find your brain cells."

He turned on his heels and stalked out.

Komori tried to keep his distance. He envisioned a dark cloud of energy being projected out of Sakusa's entire body and he did not need that kind of negativity in his life. Still, for all the times that he annoyed his cousin and refused to leave him alone, this was happening whether he liked it or not.

"Around 46 people die on the Tokyo Subway each year," Sakusa murmured loud enough for him to hear, "so here's hoping she contributes to that statistic."

"Sakusa," Komori yelped in surprise, "don't say that."

"I'm saying exactly what I mean. It's not an exaggeration or a lie. Rina Ando cannot come here."

"Coach literally said it's not Rina. The manager's name is Mirae, she goes to Karasuno- Hey!" he slapped Sakusa's shoulder and ignored the pointed glare. "Kageyama goes to Karasuno! We can message him and ask!"

"I'm not messaging him."

"And why not? Afraid you'll be proven wrong?"

He scoffed and pushed past the gym doors. The team was nearly done cleaning up from practice. 

"Oi," he called.

All fifteen of them scurried forward. "Yes, Captain!"

"They set us up with a manager and she'll be here, unfortunately, in two weeks. If she is who I think she is-"

"She's not," Komori sang.

"Then we need to be prepared," he snapped. "She's a selfish witch who will get into your heads and make you regret being alive. Don't fall for it. Avoid her at all costs."

Komori rolled his eyes and gestured to the team from behind him that he was crazy.

Rina Ando and Kiyoomi Sakusa had a troubling relationship since the start when they met for the first time in last year's inter-high tournaments. An interviewer had cornered him and asked to take a picture for their latest article.

Begrudgingly he agreed. In the next second, he was pushed into Rina Ando's side. The photographer told them to pose and the Witch (as Sakusa called her) wrapped her arms around his waist and planted a wet kiss on his exposed cheek.

The amount of hatred he felt at that moment was indescribable.

As if that interaction was not bad enough, Rina Ando popped up everywhere he went for the duration of the tournament. Whether he was watching games from afar, sitting with his teammates at the food court, or preparing for his own match, she would be close enough to give him a flirty wink and a wolfish grin.

The magazines were eating it up. They were certain this was _top wing spikers, spiking at each other's hearts._ He received multiple phone calls from his siblings and parents that night, asking if it was true. Even his Coach tried to lecture him about distractions during a tournament.

It was a lie, of course. Sakusa wanted nothing to do with her.

She tried to follow his private Instagram account and he blatantly blocked her. Then, he forced his team to block her too.

"Managers are useless," he murmured from behind his face mask. They had finally locked up the gym and were on their way back to their dorms. "Coach takes his own notes. We do the cleaning. What's she going to do?"

Komori rolled his eyes. "If managers were useless, the Japanese Sports Association wouldn't be holding a convention. Come on man, quit being so paranoid. I told you, I'm going to message Kageyama and ask."

"Miya has a hand in this. I wouldn't be surprised if he bought Kageyama's loyalty."

"The faith you have in people," he shook his head. "What makes you think Miya's involved anyway? Wait, this isn't-"

"Stop laughing!"

Komori cackled.

The incident in question happened on the last day of the tournament just before Inarizaki vs Itachiyama.

Atsumu was running his mouth, as usual, going off about how _"there shouldn't be none hard feelings"_ and before Sakusa could say that was a double negative and Miya was implying that there should be hard feelings, Rina Ando stepped in.

She wished the boys good luck and then lingered. Before Sakusa could ask what her intentions were, he saw the dopey grin on Atsumu's face and realized what was happening. He refused to let her witch-charms affect him. So, he turned around and walked away. He ignored her calls and cleared his mind as the game started. 

Rina Ando had no respect for his personal boundaries. Atsumu was salty about his team's loss two years ago. They were coming for him and he was not going to let them win.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We. Are. Back.
> 
> Welcome everyone! Welcome to the second part of Karasuno's Managers: Little Ukai and The Vulnerable! We are so, so excited to begin this new journey with all of you <3
> 
> So the first order of business; updates! We will be updating this story on a weekly basis so expect a new chapter every Thursday.
> 
> Second-order of business; timeline! The Manager Convention arc takes place in December. Mirae and Emiko come back home to Miyagi for Christmas. Then in January, after New Year, they are off to Nationals!
> 
> Emiko and Kageyama shippers are going to be getting way more content in this book. Sorry Kunimi fans! However, we've got boys from both Inarizaki and Itachiyama so on the off chance that your ships change... well, go right ahead and let us know ;)
> 
> It won't be easy for either of the heroines though. Place your bets, how long will they last? Also, how in the world is Protect the Managers Squad going to react when they find out their Comedic Queen and Devoted Goddess are leaving for two weeks?! 
> 
> Since tomorrow is Thursday, we'll see you in a few hours XD


	4. Tasers, Pepper Spray, and Nets

It was just after ten o'clock when both Mirae and Emiko were called down to Takeda Sensei's office. They shared a questioning look as they waited. After ten minutes, the secretary ushered them forward.

Takeda Sensei glanced up from the pile of papers on his desk and smiled at the two girls. He waved them over to the conference room and then shut the door.

"How are you?"

"Well you did just pull me out of a torturous lesson on water molecules, so I'm amazing." Emiko stretched her arms out, feeling new energy fill her body. "Oh, I can still feel Akira glaring at the back of my head though. Just breathing the same air as that demon takes a toll on me."

"Right," he said after a pause. "I was going to wait until after practice to tell you, but I am so excited I cannot wait. Mirae, Emiko, you have been chosen as two of the lucky few to partake in the Japanese Sports' Association's newest program; the Manager Convention."

After a breath of silence, Emiko whistled. "Sounds important."

"It is," Mirae nodded. "I heard they were setting up a leadership program for high school students."

"That's right. It is a new initiative to encourage young people to become leaders in management. The Japanese Sports Association had representatives at many tournaments and games throughout these few months who were watching the players as well as their team managers."

Emiko jumped on the chair and screamed, "Mr. Watanabe!"

"Shut-up," Mirae tugged her back down. "I'm sorry Takeda Sensei, please continue."

"You two caught their eyes and they've extended an invitation."

Emiko squealed. "What'd we win? Money? Food? Money for food?"

"That's not quite how this works," he blushed, "the program runs for about two weeks. You will be placed in other schools where you will assist as sports managers to the coaches and learn new leadership qualities. At the end of the program, you'll be evaluated by them."

"It would be beneficial for University applications and job offers, wouldn't it?"

Takeda nodded. "The connections you make today will absolutely help your careers in a few years. I highly encourage you to consider it."

"I'll go," Mirae smiled at Emiko.

"I don't want to go to university," she frowned and inched away from the desk littered with papers. "So, um, go ahead and shred mine in your fancy paper shredder."

"I'll prepare your forms," Takeda said slowly. "I'm glad you're partaking Mirae. Emiko, please take some time to consider it. Let me know by the end of the day."

The girls bowed in thanks and left the teacher's office. They leisurely walked down the halls and Mirae turned to Emiko.

"You should accept the offer."

"Why? I'm not going to University after high school and I don't want to do anything sports-related in the future either. It'd be a waste of time."

"You don't know that," Mirae rolled her eyes. "It'll be a fun experience, come on! Plus, we'll get to meet other teams from schools that we'd potentially face against at nationals. It'd be a great chance to spy on them."

Emiko backed away slowly. "No one thinks this because your quiet and pretty, but you're terrifying."

"Thank you," she grinned. "I'm going to accept it, you should too. If not for anything else, do it because it'll be fun!"

Fun. Emiko could think of a lot of things that were fun but going to an unknown school to be a manager was not one of them. Sure, she was a manager for Karasuno but she had Mirae and Yachi helping her. And if she was being evaluated by the National Japanese Association, then that meant she would have to be professional.

Emiko knew a lot of high school athletes and all of them were idiots who required her sass and comebacks. Professionalism was out of the question. Mirae would make a great candidate for the program. She did not think the same for herself.

"Wait for a second," Mirae pulled on the back of her collar. "You have to go back; you don't have a free period."

She frowned. "Just ten more minutes, please?"

A glare sent her scurrying down the halls and towards her class.

She dropped in her seat and picked up her pen to continue with the worksheet on her desk. Her mind began to wander. Mirae was her friend and if she thought that Emiko would have fun and be good at this Manager Convention, then maybe she was right.

Friends want what is best for each other.

With that thought in her mind, she ignored Akira's glare and notified Hinata that his last answer was wrong.

Evening practise had just ended when Takeda Sensei came running in. Coach Ukai blew the whistle and ushered the team forward.

"We have some very exciting news!" he beamed. "Kageyama has been invited once again to the All Japan Youth Training Camp!"

The team cheered, clapping him on the back and singing words of praise.

"What's the big deal?" Emiko scoffed, "He's not even that good."

From where he was sitting, Kageyama leaned back and smacked her head. She almost face planted.

"Emiko, behave," Ukai growled.

"I am not a dog, Uncle Keishin. Why don't you try this attitude on your pathetic volleyball boys?" Her face paled as she turned to her right side. "Not you 'Tome, you are an angel and I love you. But the rest of you can run up a hill in freezing weather wearing shorts."

"Wouldn't you like to see that?" Tanaka grinned.

Nishinoya decided that would be the best moment to strip himself of his shirt.

"Ew, ew, ew, my eyes," she groaned.

Before she could make another retort, a volleyball came flying and bonked her over the head. She screamed dramatically and fell into Hinata.

Mirae narrowed her eyes and asked Kageyama to throw the volleyball back. "If she talks again, I'm spiking it."

Takeda Sensei blinked. "Right. Well, anyway, in other news-" he cleared his throat, "-Shiratorizawa is hosting its second training camp for the first years. Shoji and Takita have been invited."

More whoops and hollers followed with the upperclassmen commending them for their talents and efforts mainly in the finals against Aoba Johsai. With the attention shifted onto them, both boys blushed.

"You've got a purpose, you damn noodle," Shoji grinned and put him in a headlock. He used his fist to rub over Takita's head.

"Leave me alone!"

"You damn noodle!"

"Hey- stop! I'll choke you, I swear!"

Ennoshita peeled them off each other.

Takeda Sensei took that as his cue to continue with the news, but he should have known by now what type of team Karasuno was. There was rarely a second of silence. You had to scream over voices for attention.

"I am offended-" Emiko dodged the volleyball as she crawled over Hinata's lap and nudged herself between him and Kageyama. "How come 'Tome didn't get an invite?"

"Oh, well, he hasn't played in any official games yet."

Emiko blinked and then directed her glare at her Uncle. "And whose fault is that I wonder?"

"We have a perfectly capable Libero."

"No offence," she smiled at Noya, "but 'Tome deserves more love. He deserves more recognition."

"He gets all the love and recognition," Takita rolled his eyes. He had scampered over to where Mirae was standing and had his hand out for a snack. She was rummaging through her bag, a panicked expression on her face.

"Yeah, everyone in our grade loves 'Tome."

"Literally everyone."

"As they should," she retorted. "I would sacrifice all of you if even a single tear dropped from his eye."

Takita gasped. Shoji rolled his eyes.

"Don't worry Miss. Manager Emiko," 'Tome smiled, "I don't mind. Besides, if Kageyama is going to his training camp then I can practice my setting with the rest of the team."

Emiko threw herself at Kageyama and sobbed into his shoulder. "We do not deserve him! We do not! Learn a thing or two, Tobio," she sat up and smacked him.

He elbowed her side.

As Emiko fell into Hinata, she cried out and wondered why bones were so sharp.

"Yes, now back to me please." Takeda Sensei began to dance for some reason or another, but it was enough to draw the attention back. "Kageyama's training camp and the first year's training camp are happening in the same week. Oh wait!" he slapped a hand over his forehead. "The Manager Convention- Emiko, did you think it over?"

Heads whipped in her direction. She looked around and wondered if it was smart to bring this up when all the members of the Protect the Managers squad were present.

"Mhm," her throat ran dry. She looked up at Mirae. "Can we tell them?"

"Where are those damn crackers I know I packed them-" Mirae looked up. "Sorry, what?"

"Can we," she winked exaggeratedly and raised her palms, "you know?"

"I'm sorry I don't speak gorilla. Words Emiko. We've talked about this."

"Does this sound like Gorilla?" she shrieked, "I'm trying to save my butt here. I can't run as fast as you can when they inevitably decide to pounce and attack me."

Takita tugged at Mirae's bag. "Snack."

"One second."

"Mirae I'm talking to you!"

She gasped and dropped the bag. Takita frowned. Mirae looked up and glared. "You ate them, didn't you?"

"Inconsiderate," Kageyama tsked.

"Shut up! There are more serious things happening than a bag of cheap crackers!"

"Those were not cheap!" Takita cried as he rolled onto the ground. "Those were the expensive kind Mirae buys for when I get ten gold stars on my training log! Emiko you're such a-" he buried his face into the floor, his cries were muffled.

Shoji poked his head. "Dude, the floor's dirty get up."

He answered unintelligibly.

Emiko threw her head back. "I can't think straight! Shut-up, shut-up, shut-up!"

Kageyama was holding the volleyball and he decided to bounce it off the top of her head. Emiko felt the light tap and looked up. She narrowed her eyes at him. He smirked in reply.

"Fine. To hell with the consequences. Mirae and I are leaving Karasuno to be managers for another team. Goodbye." She buried her head in her lap.

The room went quiet. It was sudden news for sure, nothing the boys were expecting. Then, all hell broke loose.

Nishinoya sprang to his feet. He jumped onto Mirae's back, locking his arms around her shoulders to restrain her. "Our Goddess, our rules," he proclaimed, "Mirae stays."

Takita crawled a couple of inches and grabbed her ankles. "You provide me with snacks you can't leave."

She was beginning to lose balance as she tried to avoid stepping on their sulking first year while carrying Noya's weight. Ennoshita and Narita ran up. They begged and pleaded, trying to pry the two off her.

Emiko was in no better position. Shoji had her in a headlock and Tanaka was trying to restrain her flailing legs. He had grabbed the one, but she was putting up a fight and determined to kick him at least twice before he succeeded.

"Don't just watch, Uncle Keishin!" she screamed, "I'm going to die!"

"That's nice Emiko."

"You won't die, Little Ukai," Hinata grinned. He stood farther away from the chaos and was playing with the volleyball that was aimed at Emiko's head.

Yaotome glanced up at Takeda and Ukai. "They're not taking Miss. Manager Yachi, are they?"

"No."

"Good." Both he and Tadashi relaxed visibly.

Tsukishima was snickering. Kageyama watched in amusement. The entire gym was filled with cries of help. The adults did not know what to do without making the situation worse. Still, they both knew it was going to come down to this. There was no way Karasuno's volleyball team would willingly hand over their precious managers.

As Narita finally yanked Noya off Mirae's back, she lost her footing as she tried to avoid Takita's hands. She tripped and face planted.

"No!" Shoji growled. He released Emiko, who was finally able to breathe again, and scampered over.

"You killed her!" Emiko gasped. "You wanted to kill me but failed so you decided to kill her!"

"Did not!" Takita defended. He had newfound strength and sprinted across the gymnasium to hide behind Kinnoshita.

"I'm fine," Mirae winced. She sat up, clutching her nose. "I think."

"Don't think, you're hurt so you'll lose brain cells."

"That's not how that works," she rolled her eyes.

"Let me see?" Tsukishima knelt in front of her. Soft fingers held her chin as he tipped her head back. Besides the angry bruise, there was no blood. "You're fine. It would be best if you lie down though. Here," he sat down criss-cross and patted his thigh.

The third years watched with surprised looks. Nishinoya elbowed Tanaka and reminded him of their conversation at the Fukurodani training camps. Then, he reminded Tanaka that he now owed him a hundred yen.

"Get over here, you damn noodle!"

"No thanks."

"You injured her- You have to pay!"

"Hell no," Takita scoffed. He pointed at Emiko who was cradling an icepack. "You bruised my manager. I bruised yours. We're fair."

"I didn't do it on purpose!"

"Neither did I."

"Guys, guys," Yaotome intervened. He put a hand on both their arms. "Let's all be friends."

They blinked.

"I'm going to strangle you."

"I'm going to whack you."

Coach Ukai tugged on Takeda Sensei's arm and they both sat down on the bench. When it became this bad, it was always best to wait it out. They would tire themselves out eventually and it never took more than ten minutes.

He used that time to go over their training notes.

"It'll be quadruple laps for whoever says another word," Ennoshita threatened.

Ukai smirked. They could wait the ten minutes or let Ennoshita come to his wit's end.

The boys settled down after that. They returned to their spots on the floor and waited patiently for Takeda Sensei.

"Okay, it's getting late so let's try not to have any more distractions."

Emiko scoffed. Coach Ukai glared. Emiko hid behind Hinata.

"So that means three of our players plus two of our managers won't be here for a week. While they are gone, we have three practice games with the neighbouring teams. After they come back, we've got the National Tournament!"

"Alright," Ukai clapped his hands, "let's clean up and go home!"

The first years were the first to leave. They wiped down the equipment and swept the floors at amazing speed. Then, it was Ennoshita, Kinnoshita, and Narita. They stayed behind just long enough to ensure there would be no more attempted kidnappings before bidding them goodnight. Yachi and Tadashi double-checked with Mirae and Emiko. Besides the bruise around Emiko's neck and Mirae's swelling nose, all was fine.

Tadashi handed the gym keys to Tsukishima and then he offered to walk Yachi to the bus stop.

"So you're leaving us?" Nishinoya pouted. He was sitting with Mirae and Tsukishima. "If you had a choice you should've said no."

"I'm not leaving forever. It's only twelve days. I'll be back before the tournament."

"Unless they keep you."

"No, they wouldn't keep her," Tsukishima smirked, "or the other one. I wouldn't be surprised if they shipped them both back in boxes marked _caution, handle with care, dangerous._ "

Emiko dodged under the net and cried, "What was that? Tsukki what did you say behind my back?"

"He's just jealous," Hinata patted her.

"Right, I am so jealous of half your brain cell."

Emiko assumed a sumo wrestler's pose and glared. "Come at me. I dare you."

Kageyama chose that moment to flick her forehead. Emiko stumbled over her feet.

"Weak."

"Say that to my face!"

He leaned over and flicked her forehead again. "Weak."

Emiko blinked. "Protect the Managers squad my butt! You all are useless!"

"Are we though?" Tanaka answered as he entered the gym. He held two items in the air like trophies. "I found them! They were hidden behind the boxes, same place that Daichi put them last year."

"I can't believe he didn't think to move them."

"What are those?"

"This," Tanaka held the can in awe, "is the best defence against city boys."

Tsukishima frowned. "Pepper spray?"

"Yes! Any city boy- nay, any boy who comes too close for your comfort will retreat in utter pain and terror once you direct a heavy dose of this into their eyes."

"And if you run out or lose it, you always have this!"

Tsukishima scooted away. "A taser. Why do you two have pepper spray and a taser?"

Nishinoya cradled the taser like a child in his arms. "Initially we bought them as protection for Kiyoko-san."

"But Daichi found out and took it from us," Tanaka frowned, then he turned to Mirae and beamed, "so it is our offering to you, oh Goddess! Take these weapons as you go into the battlefield."

"Cool." Mirae held the pepper spray in her right hand and the taser in her left.

"Not cool," Tsukishima muttered. He moved farther away.

"Do you have to go?" Hinata asked. He had finally tugged the net free from the metal bearings and moved over to help Emiko as she fussed.

"Well, no, I don't have to do anything I don't want to but Takeda Sensei and Mirae say that it's a good experience."

"So you don't want to go?"

She gave Hinata and Kageyama a puzzled look. "No, not really. Why?"

"Say we restrained you."

"Hypothetically," Hinata assured, "say we hypothetically restrained you."

"Would you be devasted?"

"Or would you put up a fight and be heartbroken?"

Emiko cocked her head to the side. "What is up with you two and your upgraded vocabulary? And to answer your question; no, not really. Again I don't- wait, what are you- Hinata! Tobio! What the- get this thing off me!"

They did the opposite. As they draped the volleyball net over her head, they stepped back and watched Emiko flail and turn and get herself even more tied up.

"Hinata I am your best friend!"

"It's for your own good, Little Ukai."

"How!?"

"You can stay here with us."

"You said so yourself," Kageyama nodded, "you don't need to go."

"You won't even be here!" she screamed.

The others ignored them and watched as Mirae held both the items in each hand. "So I just hold this like this and- oh God no."

_"Aaah!"_

"Knew it," Tsukishima shook his head, "I knew this was a bad idea."

Tanaka fell backwards, clawing at his eyes.

"Wait, I'm sorry I- Oh God no!"

Nishinoya's limbs went stiff as the taser stabbed his skin. He fell back, flinching.

"I also knew that."

He grabbed them from her hands and threw them away. They landed by Emiko who was still struggling to free herself from the net.

At the best, or worst, timing possible, Ennoshita came in. He had forgotten his house keys and assumed he could get them and run back before his favourite television show started.

Boy was he wrong.

Hinata and Kageyama were laughing on one side of the gym as Emiko rolled around in the volleyball net. On the other side of the gym, Nishinoya had been possessed by some unknown entity and beside him, Tanaka was trying to eject the spirit from his own body.

Tsukishima was comforting Mirae who looked like she was on the verge of a panic attack.

Ennsohita came to one single conclusion; this was Emiko's fault.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... was anyone anticipating that kind of a reaction from the Protect the Manager squad? Leave it to Noya and Tanaka to have tasers and pepper spray. Spoiler alert, Mirae considers using them later.
> 
> Also, we hope you guys are okay with longer chapters because these ones are about 3000+ XD 
> 
> The next chapter will be Mirae and Emiko's last day with the team before they have to leave for Itachiyama and Inarizaki... Gahhh we are so excited to share that with you all!
> 
> Anyways, we'll see you guys next week!


	5. Little Ukai Gang Gang In The House

It was the last practice with the whole of Karasuno. Kageyama and Mirae would take the train to Tokyo City together where he was going to spend a week at the Olympic training center while she spent twelve days at Itachiyama High School. Takita and Shoji were going to Shiratorizawa with a collection of other first years from around Miyagi. Emiko would leave earlier for her train to Hyogo.

"Emiko," Ennoshita called.

She pushed the cart of volleyballs into the storage room and spun on her heels. "Captain?" she saluted him with one fist over her heart and the other behind her back.

"What are you doing?" he asked wearily. 

"Saluting my Captain of course."

"Right," he drawled, "can I have a second to talk to you?"

She narrowed her eyes and inched forwards. "If this is about that hole in the clubroom wall, it wasn't me."

"The hole in the clubroom wall?"

"It wasn't me."

He sighed heavily. "I'm really happy that you are invited to the Manager Convention. It goes to show how hard you have been working to support our team. Now, although I trust you to do a great job, I still want you to promise me that you will not provoke anyone and you will absolutely not retaliate."

"What if they provoke me?"

"You will not retaliate."

"But Captain," she began.

"No, Emiko."

She had heard this request in the form of a warning on multiple occasions, accompanied by the narrowing of eyes. It was not her fault that it was a threat repeated; Emiko Suzuki was a bold person. Most people were intimidated by her dramatic antics or annoyed with her quirks.

It was not as though she went looking for verbal arguments and physical altercations. They just happened to occur because of who she was and what she attracted.

"Captain," Emiko sighed as she pushed her shoulders back. She glanced up at him and nodded. "This is the first time you've asked something like this of me. Even back when we went to the Fukurodani training camp in Tokyo, you didn't try to distract me with chores when I got out of hand."

"I don't want to be the type of Captain that controls how you behave to the extent that you fear me."

"You've never been like that," she assured. "You're fair and respectful and kind."

"Thank you, Emiko."

"Honestly, I could praise you all day if you wanted. I have so much to say about you but no one ever listens to me. Did you know that you are the perfect man? The rest of the team have a lot to learn from you. I do not think they could match you if they tried. It would take a hundred lifetimes for them to even compare."

Ennoshita frowned. "You're not dying, are you?"

"No my ancestors have blessed me with nine lives. They said I'd need it to deal with my demon mother. Oh, and my Uncle Keishin."

"I can't laugh, I can't laugh," Ennoshita murmured to himself. He fought back a smile.

"My point is," she paused, "wait, what is my point?"

"You were promising me that you would be on your best behaviour at Inarizaki."

"No, I don't think that was it."

"It was."

"Fine, only because I respect you."

He stepped forward and patted her head. "Please promise me in a full sentence, using the word promise, so you don't try to find a loophole. I don't want to find out that you caused emotional damage in a week or two."

"Just who do you take me for?" she scoffed. "I am a representative of Karasuno. Mr. Watanabe chose me, he saw me as a professional. I am a manager, okay? I know how to do my job. I am a crow. That's right, fear me. Now, this baby crow is going to leave the nest and be the best damn baby crow she can be."

She ducked from under his hand and started to march away. She made it three steps before Ennoshita grabbed her sleeve.

"You didn't use the word promise, Emiko."

She cursed under her breath. "Okay. Fine. I promise to be on my best behaviour. I promise to be mature and professional for your sake. I promise not to cause anyone emotional damage."

A long whistle came from behind them. "Now that's a tall order," Kinnoshita smirked.

"What?"

"Nothing," Narita assured. "On another note, I think Nishinoya is trying to get Hinata to climb out the windows of our club room."

"That's a two-story drop!" Emiko screamed, pushing Ennoshita towards the gym doors. "Go and save him, my Captain! Become Captain Levi for me and save my favourite one!"

With a small battle cry, he sprinted away. Mirae jumped to the side, watching with surprise as he almost ran into her.

"Emiko," she called, "did you prepare your notes?"

"Of course."

She narrowed her eyes. "I don't believe you."

Emiko tapped her temple and smirked. "It's all up here."

"That's great," Mirae deadpanned and then kicked her shin, "but how is that going to help Yachi?"

"Unlike you, Mirae, I promise to text Yachi every second of the day to make sure she's okay. Plus, she's a great listener."

"Unlike you, Emiko," Mirae taunted as she used her height to peer over her, "I'm going to score higher than you on the assessments. You are a walking and talking disaster, even Narita and Kinnoshita agree."

Emiko's jaw dropped. She turned to the boys and grabbed their shoulders. "It's not true," she whimpered, "tell me it's not true."

"Well you're always telling us to be more like Ennoshita, so we can't lie."

"Yeah, we're trying to become more honest people. Make our ancestors proud and whatnot."

Emiko fell to the floor and began whining like a wounded animal.

"Make those notes Emiko." Mirae grabbed under her arms and hauled her to her feet. "How many times do I have to tell you that the floors are dirty?"

Narita promptly grabbed a napkin from his pocket and threw it at Emiko's face.

"Yes, thank you for that," she scoffed but used it to dust at her knees and hands. "What did you two want? You're usually silently judging us-"

"You-"

"-from the corner of the gym."

Kinnoshita shoved his hands in his pocket and glanced at Narita. "We wanted to make a bet."

"A friendly, little bet," Narita assured.

"I'm in."

"No, you're not," Mirae flicked her forehead. "You always lose your bets and then you come crying to me."

"I won't cry this time."

"Hear us out. We were talking about it, and we want to bet on how long it takes for Ennoshita to crack without you two here."

"Easy," Emiko rolled her eyes. "He won't crack at all. As I said multiple times, my Captain is a strong warrior. Sure he might miss me but he'll be totally fine."

"I say he doesn't last two days," Narita smirked ignoring Emiko's offended expression.

"I agree with him. Ennoshita puts up a front but he'll be worrying his head off. Two days maximum."

"Let's be reasonable," Mirae glanced between them, "Shoji and Takita won't be here to cause much trouble. And Kageyama is at the training camp, so that limits Hinata and Tsukishima's drama. Plus, I trust Tadashi and Yachi to help him with you guys."

"And 'Tome's an angel," Emiko cut in, pointing to their first year who was stretching in a butterfly pose.

"Exactly. I say Ennsohita lasts at least ten days."

"Two days versus ten days, then."

"Hey," Emiko called, "I said my Captain would be fine."

"You're going to lose, Emiko. Just side with Mirae and that way you'll at least have a chance."

"No, I have faith in my Captain's power, the same that he trusts me."

"Uh-huh," Kinnoshita narrowed his eyes, "what were you two talking about before we got here?"

"We were just discussing how awesome I am."

"She's lying, I overheard her promising Ennoshita that she'd be on her best behaviour."

The boys cackled.

"Fine," Emiko stomped her foot. "Ten days. But if I win It's because I said no days."

"Alright then, the winner decides the reward."

"Hey." Emiko yanked on their jackets before they had a chance to walk away, "don't you dare cheat, Mr's. If you make my Captain's life troublesome, you will have me to deal with."

"Ooh," Narita flinched. He and Kinnoshita walked away, throwing knowing smirks over their shoulders. "I'm so scared."

"You should be."

Mirae ran her hands down her face. "Please just stop. You're embarrassing yourself."

At that second, Kageyama popped up beside them. "But she always embarrasses herself."

"No," Emiko screamed, scrambling to put distance between them. "Bad, Tobio, bad! Stay the heck away from me!"

She made a beeline for the opposite end of the gym.

"What's up?" Mirae asked. She started towards the storage room and ushered for Kageyama to follow her.

"I watched a couple of your matches," he said, propping the door open so she could organize the volleyball carts that were shoved in, "from the All-Japan Under 10 Tournament."

She paused. "Oh?"

"Could you teach me how to set like that?"

"I could," she hesitated, glancing around the storage room before walking back to the gym. Kageyama followed.

The setting style that dubbed her the best female setter under the age of 10 was excessively aggressive. Not to mention, it was a gamble because there was only one month left before the tournament.

She glanced back at him and noticed the disappointment bleeding itself in his eyes. Quickly, she rephrased.

"The setting style I used was manipulative and mean. I'm not proud of it but I was playing dirty. Are you sure our team needs a setter like that?"

"I know what you mean," he murmured, looking at Hinata who had just joined them. "I wouldn't set like that when it comes to our other spikers, but I think we could pull it off."

"Kageyama showed me the video," Hinata nodded but his expression was still cautious. "It seemed like you were fighting with your spiker, and I think you were letting the other team read your moves. But there was a strong payoff for the risk, right? If he wants to do that, then I can try too."

Mirae held her hands out for the volleyball and then walked to where the net was set up. She then directed Hinata to the other side of the net to block and Kageyama in position to spike.

"I only set this way when my sister was spiking from the front row. Our Coach would not let me do it with our other spikers and even now, we'll need Coach Ukai's approval before you two try it in a game. Hinata, you need to trust your setter wholeheartedly here, because the mental pressure could put you off your game. And you are right, I was letting the other team read my moves. Try blocking, okay?"

She threw the ball towards Kageyama and he bumped it up. She moved in position and set the ball, angling her arms and arching her back so that Hinata could read where the ball was going. Sure enough, as Kageyama ran up and spiked, Hinata popped up and shut it down.

"I'd do that one or two times," she explained. "Then, in the middle of the court, I'd aggravate my spiker. Yell at them, tell them that they are off their game and they need to leave the court. Say anything and everything and in return, my spiker would have to act like they are getting frustrated. I'd make it seem like I wouldn't set to them again."

She glanced around and waved Tadashi over. He and Kageyama stood in preparation for a spike with Hinata blocking. For another three points, Mirae set to Kageyama and Hinata effortlessly blocked it. Kageyama was growing frustrated with himself and the smug look on their blocker's face. Mirae was giving away their plays and even limiting the course of his spike.

For the next three points, she set to Tadashi and each time, he hit it past Hinata's block.

Then, on the eighth spike, Mirae set it to Kageyama. Hinata had already jumped up against Tadashi and Kageyama spiked it through.

On the ninth spike, Hinata was a step too late. On the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth spike, Kageyama was able to hit it past the block as she had freed up his spiking course.

"You don't reveal all your cards at once. Instead, you build up. Show the blockers that this one spiker is having an off day, so they ease up off them. Then when the trap is set, you can get a few points by catching them off guard. After that, you score more points by opening up the spiker's course. Still, this technique only works against read blockers and only if there are one or two blockers. Do not try it against three blockers, the spiker will get stuffed. Wait, why are you looking at me like that?"

Hinata, Kageyama, and Tadashi glanced at each other. They were each thinking the same thing, that Mirae was one scary person and they were lucky she was not playing on a sports team against them.

"We'll practice it," Kageyama said, "when I come back. Thanks."

"I'm going to fight back though," Hinata smirked, ducking under the net. "And if we're both fighting, then it will be more effective against blockers."

"We know you were a setter, but do you know how to play other positions?" Tadashi asked.

She nodded. "I'm better at setting and blocking but I can spike. Why do you ask?"

"Let's play a two on two," he offered. This caught Kageyama and Hinata's attention and they quickly scampered towards them with stars in their eyes. "You and me versus them."

"I haven't played a two on two in a while." She shrugged off her jacket and tossed it onto the bench. "Alright, try to go easy on me will you?"

A couple seconds into the Instagram Live stream, over a thousand people had joined and more were coming in. Emiko scrolled through the messages of _hi, hello,_ and _what's up._

"' Sup everybody, welcome back to Karasuno's page. I'm your host Little Ukai, gang gang in the house-" her face fell, "wait never mind- I could get censored for that. Um, delete? Yeah delete that from the live, okay? Anyways, what's popping?" she squinted her eyes and began to read off her screen.

" **boldchicken** wants to know _where's Coach Ukai?_ Well, my Uncle Keishin is running the store right now. He doesn't trust the new cashier he hired. Which I mean, why hire him if you can't trust him you know? So yeah, he's not here on Tuesdays or Thursdays."

She walked over to the stage as she talked. Once she got there, she threw herself over and attempted to climb. Then, she positioned her phone against a makeshift stand and stood proudly in the camera view.

"Emiko? Ennoshita said you can't go on the stage because your chances of injuring yourself increase significantly."

She snapped her head over and grinned, grabbing Yachi's arm and pulling her into view.

"Guys, guys, look! It's Karasuno's most dependable manager! Ask her questions."

Yachi waved awkwardly to the camera.

"Ooh, here's one from **volleyball_201** , okay they want to know _Are you single?_ "

"I-"

"No," Emiko butted in, "Our beautiful Yachi is practically married. Okay, the next question is from **JumboMumboIcePop** and they ask _how do you guys begin practice?_ "

"We begin with some stretching and light cardio."

"What? Yachi, don't lie," Emiko blew a raspberry, "We begin with a ten-hour lecture from Mirae. She honestly just rambles about useless things."

Yachi glanced at her with a puzzled expression. "Mirae doesn't give us lectures, she just reminds us to fill out our food and training logs."

"Next question!" she cut her off. "Let's see. Okay, **kari_eii** wants to see Tsukishima- huh? No sorry, I'm not on speaking terms with Tsukki right now. Wait, you guys- I can't keep up with these questions." Emiko ran her fingers on her screen and then frowned. "They're all about Tsukishima. Fine, fine. I'll get the giant."

She reached down to grab her phone and noticed that Yachi was shuffling from one foot onto the other. It was her telltale sign for when she was nervous.

"What's up?"

"Oh," her eyes widened, "I was going to ask you for your manager notes."

"I'm still working on it," she blushed. Emiko climbed down the stage and held up a peace sign. "I'll give them to you before we leave. Promise." Then, she ran across the gym. Too late she realized that she had run into a game as a volleyball nearly smacked her in the face. Mirae and Kageyama screamed at her.

"Losers," she muttered, throwing an apologetic look into the camera. Finally, she stopped at the other end of the gym.

"Not in the mood," Tsukishima huffed, pulling the towel lower over his head. "And you were the one who interrupted their game."

"Tsukki be nice your fans are watching. You have an image to uphold."

"You started another live stream?" he asked in disbelief.

"He says it like that but he's really excited guys. Just look at him, he's practically jumping with joy." Emiko dropped down beside him and yanked the towel away. She pushed the phone in his face. "Say hello."

"Hello."

"Give me more _oomph,_ more _pizazz,_ Tsukki! Gosh, you're so boring. I don't see why the fans like you."

He deadpanned into the camera igniting a series of _lol_ and laughing-faced emojis.

"Alright here's a question! **Insertyournamehere** wants to know _why aren't you on speaking terms with Tsukishima?_ Oh, why don't you tell them?"

He looked away. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Lies! You are a liar! Kei Tsukishima is a liar."

"Am not."

She angled the phone back to herself and huffed. "Yesterday during practice, Mirae decided to taser Noya and pepper spray Tanaka. Somehow everyone blamed it on me! Can you guys believe this treachery? And to think I dedicate my precious time and energy to these baboons."

Tsukki yanked the phone back. "She's lying. She was hyper and got too excited and attacked them. We had to catch her in the volleyball net. If anyone is a baboon it's her."

"My fingerprints weren't even on the weapons!"

"The taser and pepper spray were found right next to you."

"Because you threw them at me!"

He grinned and glanced at her sideways, "Everyone here agrees it was you so let's move on."

"Everyone does not agree it was me. Stupid Tsukki and his preference for Mirae. Anyways, next question only because I say so."

Tsukishima cut her off and quickly read, " **Volleyballislife** asks _who is your least favourite on the team?_ "

"Go ahead," she huffed, "say it. You've broken my heart already; you can't possibly do any more damage."

"The least favourite person on this team and everyone agrees with me, is Hinata. Sure, he can jump high and it's somewhat impressive to see but he is so annoying. He screams and yells early in the morning for no reason. He jumps in your face when he's excited and he fails at least one class each semester."

The messages popped up in response. Most people were laughing at the new information with some people demanding Emiko to defend her so-called favourite person.

Tsukishima glanced over and saw tears in her eyes. "You don't think of me as your least favourite person on the team?" her bottom lip trembled. "Oh- Tsukki!"

"I take it back," he pushed her flailing arms, "it's Emiko. She's the least favourite and even Ennoshita said so."

"Lies! I am his favourite! I know it!"

"Sure."

She frowned, searching her brain for a better retort. None came to mind. "Fine. Let's enter the rapid-fire phase: jump float or jump serve?"

"If I'm doing it, underhand."

"Sprinting or flying receives?"

"Standing."

"Popsicles or ice-cream?"

"Mirae says neither."

"She says I can't have them either, but I don't listen to her." She quickly looked around to make sure no one else heard. Mirae was by the net, preparing to set. She visibly relaxed.

"It's okay I'll let her know," Tsukishima smirked. "Winter or Spring? I'd rather stay indoors regardless of the season."

"You can't keep answering the questions like that! The fans have given you two options, pick one."

"Chocolate or vanilla? No, I like strawberry flavours."

"In that case, cookies and crème for me."

They answered a few more questions in the same regard. What caught them both off guard though, was when someone asked to join their live.

"Who in the world?" She narrowed her eyes as she read the username. Then, her breath hitched as she repeatedly tapped the decline button. "I am so sorry everyone we seem to be having some technical difficulties. We'll get back to your questions soon enough!"

"Who is it?"

" **Tetskuroo_me.me** is trying to sabotage our live, Tsukki. Take the hint, we don't want you joining our live."

He decided to message in all caps and beg to be allowed.

"Absolutely not. Go away **Tetskuroo_me.me.** This is a highly professional event I have arranged for the fans of Karasuno's volleyball team. Tsukishima is a highly professional volleyball player and as his team manager I must politely decline you."

He messaged again in all caps random letters and numbers. The fans decided to join him on his rampage.

"The fans Emiko," Tsukishima nudged her. "I doubt Kuroo will say anything rude. Just let him join and we'll kick him off after a minute."

Her jaw dropped. Her own ally was conspiring with the enemy. Still, with the messages flooding in and begging to see **Tetskuroo_me.me** she had no choice but to accept.

"Suzuki-chan! Tsukki! Aren't you two a sight for sore eyes!"

"He's making fun of me," she growled, "he's making fun of the both of us."

"Hello, Kuroo. Yeah, we just finished an intense day of training. Coach had us working on stamina today for an hour straight."

"Sounds rough," he grinned like a Cheshire cat, "now, what's your excuse, Suzuki-chan? I know you don't participate in the training. What was it? You have a doctor's note? Remind me what's it for again?"

"You're setting me up. You're trying to make me look like the villain in front of the 2.1k fans on this live. I will not fall for your tricks, Kuroo! I will tell Kenma and he will destroy you!"

Tsukishima snorted. Kuroo's eyes widened and his expression became even crazier. Emiko felt her face flush.

"An-chan!" a new voice screamed from Kuroo's side. "Is that An-chan, Kuroo? Is An-Chan there? Let me talk to her- Let me-"

The exact moment that Bokuto grabbed the phone and held it so everyone could see his golden eyes, Emiko screeched and kicked them off her live.

"I'm so sorry everyone, that must have been traumatizing. I swear we at Karasuno's Volleyball team Instagram account are family-friendly. Rest assured; you will never encounter such horrors again. Unless Shoji joins me for the live. Then, I am sorry."

"Maybe its time to say goodbye."

"Oh yes, bye guys!" she waved, "gang gang- no wait, delete that. I'm so sorry."

Tsukishima pushed himself up to his feet and ignored her hands as she asked for help. "What is wrong with you?"

"I panicked."

"Whatever. I'm going to get changed."

"Wow," Emiko huffed. "Not even a proper goodbye? This is the last time you'll see me for the next two weeks you know."

He smirked over his shoulder as he walked away. "I know."

Emiko sprawled on the gym floor. She called Mirae's name repeatedly. "There's a five-point difference you're not going to win. You do know that Hinata is the better spiker right? No offence but you guys are the losers here." She rolled onto her stomach and noticed a pair of pink and white athletic shoes.

Yachi extended a hand to help her to her feet. "If you keep that up, she's going to spike a volleyball at you."

"She loves me, she would never do that." Emiko dusted her pants and placed her hands on her hips. "Hinata is better than you both, no offence, so stop trying so hard."

Having missed a serve receive, Mirae spun on her heels and glowered. "If you think you're any better why don't you come and play?"

"Yeah," Kageyama agreed. "Join them as a libero, that way it'll be a fair game."

Tadashi's eyes widened. Hinata's jaw dropped.

"Are you trying to talk smack?" Mirae asked in disbelief.

"What?" he glanced around. "You said it yourself, didn't you? To go easy since you haven't played recently."

Emiko chose that moment of tension between the two setters to intervene. She scurried forward and yanked on Mirae's sleeve.

"Thanks, but no thanks Tobio. I am not going anywhere near you and a volleyball net. I have learned my lesson. Now, we girls have managerial stuff to do. Peace out losers- not you Hinata, I love you."

"Don't forget to stretch before you clean-up!"

The girls moved to settle down on the coach's bench on the other side of the gym. Conveniently, Mirae had already packed her bag and brought it with her. She unzipped the first flap and revealed an orange notebook.

"My notes," she handed it to Yachi, "as promised."

Emiko dug into her jacket pockets. She handed a sheet of folded paper over.

Yachi glanced down and froze. "Ah."

"Wait those are my math notes," she blushed and shoved them back into her pockets. She patted down her body and then eventually stood up. She nodded to herself and found the other folded sheet of paper in her back pocket.

Yachi skimmed it over and smiled nervously. "Thanks, Emiko. I just have one question, what does this word say?"

"Which word? You're pointing to a full sentence."

Mirae looked up from her phone and frowned. She growled. "Your handwriting is terrible. I can't even read that."

"Excuse me? My handwriting is not terrible, it's efficient. Do you know how much time I save when I write like this?"

"And how much time do you waste trying to read it once it's written?"

"Not long. This sentence says that the air pressure in the volleyballs should be between 0.30 to 0.0325 kg per cm2."

"How do you calculate that?" Yachi stuttered, her facing turning red. "What happens if it goes higher? Does the volleyball explode?"

Mirae and Emiko turned to each other, feelings of guilt weighing on their hearts.

This whole time, they were convincing the boys that they would be fine and they overlooked the one person who would be carrying the weight of all their responsibilities combined. Yachi was a strong manager, and if you asked either of them, they would agree that she was the most competent manager too.

Still, she was human. Her concerns were real. She was allowed to be scared and anxious.

Emiko pried the note away and held her hands. "I'm going to type this out and then email it to you tonight. Don't worry, Yachi, you're going to be okay."

"That's right. Everything has been so chaotic with the boys that we haven't had the chance to talk to you about how you feel."

"I'm really nervous," she blushed, gripping Emiko's hands tighter. "Last year, I had Kiyoko-san. This year, I have you two. Even when you went to Yokohama for a couple days, Takeda Sensei and Coach helped me out a lot. This is going to be my first time managing alone."

"We're going to call you every day. And we'll text you every few hours. Oh, but just one thing you shouldn't forget; check the medical kits in the storage room every two days. The boys don't tell us when they use the tape or other supplies so you want to make sure we're stocked up."

"That's right," Mirae nodded. "Also, the clean towels are kept in the top drawer in the back of the storage room, not in the lower cabinets. Shoji was using too many so I had to hide them from him."

"Oh, and you don't have to worry about the social media page. I gave the third years the account information, so they'll keep it updated."

"Please remind the boys to fill out their training logs. If Takita gets lazy, just remind him of the gold stars. That should give him an incentive."

"You're also going to want to keep extra water bottles filled up. Especially since you're the only manager."

"I believe that's it. Everything else is in our notes."

Yachi blinked. Her grip on the notebook tightened. "I think I got it."

"Don't worry, you'll be okay."

"Exactly, there's no need to feel overwhelmed. I mean it's you! you're awesome and you're going to crush this."

"I'm going to miss you both."

Neither of them knew who pulled the others into a hug first.

Mirae and Tsukishima waved goodbye and started walking down the path to their neighbourhood. They made small talk about a quiz they wrote early that day and contemplated the answers. A few paces later, they walked in silence.

This was the first time that they were alone since their date one week ago. Tsukishima had texted her _Remember when you said Miyagi is boring? Well, can I show you the right places?_ And she had replied with a simple _yes._

He didn't reveal any of his plans so she came dressed in a knee-length black skirt with matching leggings and blue heeled shoes. She had wrapped a blue cardigan around her shoulders to combat the high wind that day.

He inhaled sharply and turned around before their eyes met.

Their first stop was at a Cat Café and everything was going well. They ordered their drink and then moved to the lounge where a dozen sleepy cats and a half dozen playful kittens were.

He didn't notice it at first but five minutes in she had become flustered. She was sniffling and brushing tears off her cheeks.

Mirae was allergic to cats.

He pulled her arm and dashed outside, and then scolded her for not mentioning anything earlier. She hid her face in her hands. "I didn't want to ruin anything."

Their date went on for another two hours.

"So, you're leaving for two weeks."

She glanced up. He was staring up ahead, face revealing nothing, but she picked up on the tone of his voice.

"It's not that long if you think about it. One day to travel there, one day to travel back-"

"Tokyo is six hours away. Half a day for travel."

"Oh," she paused. "You're teasing me again, aren't you?"

The corners of his lips lifted. "No."

"Half a day or a full day. It's still only for two weeks. I'll be back before you know it then you can go back to silently judging me and randomly writing on my homework. Thank you for that, by the way. At this rate, I spend more time erasing than actually doing my homework."

"You're welcome. And when you are back, maybe I can take you somewhere that has no cats."

Her cheeks flushed. "That'd be nice."

"Unless of course, you find a city boy, as Tanaka says, and decide to move out there."

"Unlikely," she grinned, "there's something about Miyagi that's different now."

"It must be because I took you to the right places. See, you've learned to appreciate it."

She laughed because it was true. There was something about her life now that she liked better than before.

They came to the part of their route where they would have to separate. They bid each other goodbye and started walking away. Mirae could not help it, she looked over her shoulder and felt her heart lurch in her chest. Hastily, she nearly tripped over her feet and scurried away.

The corners of his lips lifted as he turned around. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you guys like those Attack on Titan references? If Mirae has Yua Loves Eichii, then Emiko has AOT :P
> 
> Also, we hope you caught onto the fact that Emiko just shoved the volleyball carts into the storage room, and Mirae went back to organize them. They might need a break from each other but the separation is definitely going to be hard for both of them.
> 
> Also, to the Mirae + Tsukishima shippers, we hope you liked that scene <3
> 
> See you all next week!


	6. A/N: Please Read

Hey guys! We’re sorry if some of you were expecting an update, we just have some important things to say about where this story is going.

First things first, when we planned to write this story, we really wanted to include mature themes. We’ve touched on those with family problems and anxiety, but from here on out those themes are going to be more apparent and frequent. 

These include depression, anxiety, abuse, alcohol abuse, death, racism, and eating disorders. Please prioritize your own mental health. If any of these topics make you uncomfortable please stop reading.

Our little heroines are teenagers and we’ve written them in a way where their actions and words have consequences. A lot of the things they are trying to run away from will catch up. They are going to be responsible for their words and actions. We must warn you now that you might hate them. And that is what we intend.

Also, from here on out, there will be manga spoilers. Our story was written to follow the Haikyuu timeline; there are manga chapters that have not yet been animated. If you have not read that far and you do not want spoilers, please stop reading from here! You can come back when you are caught up!

Although Yaotome, Shoji, and Takita do belong to Furudate, their personalities were created by us with what we believed they would act like based on their appearances. 

Please look at how adorable the first years are: Takita (left), Shoji (middle), and Yaotome (right). 

We would like to give them backstories and include what their lives are like outside of volleyball. Is this something you all would be interested in reading?

That is all for now, thank you for the love and support you have shown us, Mirae, and Emiko🧡 We will see you all on Thursday! 😊


	7. The Baby Crows Have Left the Nest

Snowflakes feathered down, landing on the ground like a thick blanket. The scenery whipped by as the train gained speed. Soon, the view outside was a white whirl. Mirae hugged her bag tighter and shivered, trying to bury herself under her coat and scarf.

"I can't breathe," Kageyama murmured.

Her shoulders tensed. "I am having a weird sense of déjà vu right now."

He furrowed his brows as he adjusted the straps of the face mask. "Deja- what?"

"Déjà vu. It's a word used to describe the feeling you get when you've experienced something before."

"Oh. Um, I can't breathe."

"Inhale and exhale, it's not that hard."

"But the air is stuffy. I don't have to wear this now that we're on the train, right?"

She slapped his hands away. "Do you want to get sick from whatever germs everyone in the city is exhaling? Do you want to be contaminated by the car and factory fumes? They won't let you participate in the training camp if you're sick, Kageyama. You'll be bedridden the entire week and I'll have to come there and take care of you."

"I don't think they'd let you."

"They'd have to," she frowned. "I'm your manager."

"It seems like you're my mom," he muttered.

They had another six hours before they reached the city. Though they had left Miyagi together, they would be separating at Tokyo station. Mirae grew up in the city. She was accustomed to the heavy traffic on roads with potholes and swarming sidewalks as people went about their lives. Anywhere you went, you would hear a buzzing sound coming from teenagers hanging out in their cliques or business people chattering on their Bluetooth earpieces.

In the city, she felt like just another face in the crowd.

"So, do you know anyone else who's been invited?" she asked.

Kageyama glanced up from his phone and nodded. "There is that one guy from Shinzen. He came last year too but I don't know about anyone else."

"Well, it's good that you know someone. Try to play nice with the other guys."

"What?" he frowned. "We're going to play competitive volleyball. I can't be nice."

She laughed at how the advice went over his head. "I don't mean it like that. I mean that you should try to make some friends. Who knows, you could end up playing with these guys on teams in the future."

"I hope so. I want them to make it through, so they're chosen with me."

"I admire your confidence."

"Well, I want to play on the national stage. This is preparation for that goal but," he looked away. Whatever it was he was going to say, got stuck in his throat. He played with the face mask again, pulling it too high so that his chin was exposed and then tugging it down over the point of his nose.

"Will you stop that?" she scowled playfully and tried to adjust it. However, Mirae was wearing a pair of beige mittens so it ended up with her tickling his face. The face mask barely budged.

Her cheeks flushed when he laughed.

"What are you going to do?"

"At Itachiyama? Well, whatever the Coach wants I guess. We're supposed to follow their lead in the training and advice they give."

"No, in the future I meant."

She shrugged her shoulders. "I haven't thought that far ahead if I'm being honest. I'd like to be involved with Volleyball-"

"You should play again. On a strong team."

"As tempting as that sounds, I don't want to play professionally."

"Why not? I've been meaning to ask, but why don't you want to play anymore? I know you said it had something to do with your past team and how you had different goals but you're not with them anymore. You can join a new team."

"I know that, but I've realized that it doesn't make me happy anymore."

"Oh."

"You probably don't know what I'm talking about. I mean, the look on your face when you're playing is so different I can't help but feel jealous sometimes."

"What look on my face?"

"I don't know how to describe it. Emiko calls it the _Tobio is plotting_ face and although she might be right, you look like you've just entered heaven. The way you cradle the volleyball like it's your new-born baby makes you look like a different breed of human."

"Volleyball just makes me happy."

"I get it."

"Did it make you happy? Before?"

Her brows pinched together as she pondered the question. Her earliest memory of the sport was when she was sitting in front of the television, a large bowl of dried cereal in her lap, as she watched a game between Russia and Brazil way past her bedtime. She blinked hard, begging the sleep to leave her eyes as she observed the way each move was executed. She must have been about four years old.

Then, the first time she held a volleyball was when she was five years old. It was a lot bigger in her pudgy hands but it weighed almost nothing. She practiced with the rest of the children in the club; receives, spikes, blocks, and ultimately setting. Her muscles burned, sweat-drenched her clothes and yet she pushed herself. It didn't take long before the coach asked her to help the other students. She was patient with them. Each time they learned a new attack pattern or got a receive, they looked at her with a sparkle in their eyes and a smile that reached their ears.

At the age of eight, she stood beside her sister at the All Japan Tournament for Kids under the age of 10. They fought to the finals and then continued to fight until they won gold. Their coaches were crying. Their teammates were screaming.

Rina was arguing with Mirae over the last point scored. The set was too high.

Kageyama poked her hand. She looked up and blinked. "Yeah. It did make me happy." Before he had a chance to pry into it, she quickly pointed to his phone. "Who were you texting?"

"Komori-san. He's a third-year at Itachiyama."

"Oh? When did you meet him?"

"He was at the training camp last year. He's a libero."

"He must be pretty talented."

"He is. Their team won first place at the spring tournament two years ago."

"Well that's not intimidating for me," her voice dripped with sarcasm.

"Don't worry. Komori-san is a nice person. He was actually asking about you."

"What was he asking?"

"Apparently Sakusa-san, that's their team's captain, thinks you're someone else."

"Who else would I... Oh."

"What?"

"My sister," Mirae frowned, "I can only imagine what she did to him. Well, I'm going to have to be extra nice and apologize on her behalf."

"He is intimidating. I don't think he likes me."

"That can't be right. Everyone likes you!"

"You're lying," he deadpanned.

"Okay, maybe I'm lying. I know a few people who don't like you but what reason would he have to hate you?"

"Sakusa-san wanted to play against Ushijima-san one last time before they graduated from high school, but we won against Shiratorizawa." Kageyama grabbed her arms as he faced her, "As a member of the Protect the Managers Squad I think I should walk you to Itachiyama and ask Komori-san to protect you. Sakusa is a big guy. He might try to take revenge by scaring you."

"You have quite the imagination," she removed his hands, "you've been hanging out with Emiko too much. You know, when Coach and Ennoshita first implemented the no talking to Emiko rule, I thought they were being unreasonable. Now I see their point."

"Does she know about the rule?"

"Yup, though I highly doubt she'll listen. That being said, if she spams your phone with messages and calls, you can ignore her."

"I ignore her anyway."

"Speaking of the Dictator-" She clicked the Instagram app on her phone and held the screen out to Kageyama. They saw that she had uploaded a picture of herself on the train towards Hyogo. It was captioned _peace out losers, I'm going where the accents are cooler._

"Oh right, Miya-san speaks in a Kansai dialect."

"She won't be able to understand them," Mirae frowned. Then, her lips pulled into a smirk. "She won't be able to understand them."

"That's a good thing?"

"It's a wonderful thing. Just think of the dramatic meltdowns she'll have. Pity we won't have videos or photos to send to the group chat though. Wait a minute," she turned to him, "can you ask your friend Miya to send them to us?"

Kageyama thought it over and then opened his phone. "Let me ask."

"Luckily for us, she doesn't get to Inarizaki for another few hours. Ask him to plan her a nice little welcome party."

Kageyama didn't say anything, but he did decide to send Tsukishima a text that read _You're right. Mirae is crazy._

It was a beautiful morning.

Old people were grumbling to themselves as they drank coffee and eyed the people around them like they were diseases. Young people gathered like hordes of zombies around the popup Starbucks. A child screamed for no apparent reason and Emiko hummed to herself as she skipped.

There, by the side of the road, a tall woman in a beige cardigan held up a sign that read her name.

"Yo- oops. I can't say yo, this is a professional encounter." She bowed and nearly broke her back. "Give me a minute. I don't think I can get up."

"Emiko!" The woman celebrated. "It's so nice to meet you!" Then, without warning, she grabbed Emiko's head and straightened her posture. A loud crack followed where her spine went up.

The container of snacks that she brought with her as a hello gift nearly fell to the ground as the woman pulled her into a soul-crushing hug.

"Oh," she wheezed, "you're friendly."

"I'm Mrs. Suna! You'll be staying with me and my family."

"Fun."

"Yes, we will have a lot of fun! I can't wait to play charades and twister; game night is among us soon enough."

"That sounds ominous," Emiko grinned, "I'm in!"

"Great! Get in the car!"

They packed her suitcase into the back of the car and got inside. Once their seatbelts were buckled, Mrs. Suna started the car and drove down the highway.

"If you do not mind, I'll take your bags home and leave them in your room. You have to be at school in thirty minutes for the boys' morning practice."

"Okay."

As they reached a red light, Mrs. Suna turned around and grabbed a bag from the back. She dropped it into Emiko's lap. "That's your uniform. You can change at school. Well, go on then, talk to me about whatever it is that's on your mind."

"Oh, there's a lot on my mind. My Uncle Keishin says it is because I have the attention span of a peanut, but like, how does a peanut pay attention to anything? He is crazy, I tell you. I bet you anything he is throwing a party at home, rejoicing at the fact that I have left. But I do miss my grandmama and grandpapa."

"You're nervous," Mrs. Suna grinned.

"Me, nervous? Heck no. This is me being professional." Emiko smacked at the non-existent dust on her shirt. "I'm pretty good at it, aren't I?"

"You are the most professional little thing I've ever laid my eyes on. Oh, have you had anything to eat? We can make a stop for breakfast."

"No thank you," she shook the container of granola bars, "I had some of these and, let me tell you, they are the bomb. I make the recipe based on my friend Mirae's nutritional log for maximum flavour and maximum energy. Heck, one of these and I don't even need my Monster Bulldozer 3000. Would you like to try one, Mrs. Suna?"

"You are so adorable," she screeched, hitting the steering wheel. "No thank you, I'm quite full from breakfast."

"Cool."

"I think you will get along very well with Rintaro."

"Rintaro?"

"Yes, Rintaro! He is my little baby boy! He's such a gentleman, an angel. He's very shy and constantly slouches so he looks so tiny and he has the most welcoming and warm eyes. He looks exactly like his sister Tomiko, but my little doll is away for the week."

"Why's that?"

"She's at an ice-skating competition. She was so anxious when we saw her off last night, but I know she's going to perform exceptionally."

"I wish her luck," Emiko said. "Though I doubt she'll need luck if she's as amazing as you say she is."

"You're such a doll."

"I'm not a doll, I'm a kung-fu warrior- no a warrior princess- no wait, a warrior queen!"

"Yeah you are," Mrs. Suna fist-bumped her and then quickly averted her attention back to driving. "You will get along with my little Rintaro, I'm sure of it."

Emiko grinned. Having been surrounded by boys as tall as seven feet (it didn't matter if Mirae kept telling her they were 6 feet), she had always felt at a disadvantage. Sure, she could kick their shins and dodge them, but it was still infuriating how they could win any argument with a smirk as they looked down at her.

But if Suna was tiny, then he would be like Hinata. And if he was quiet, then he'd be like 'Tome. At the realization that he was a combination of her two favourite people, Emiko became eager to meet him.

"Tell me about him, Mrs. Suna."

"He's a third-year and he plays the position of middle blocker."

"Oh my God, he really is like Hinata!"

"Who?"

"My best friend. He's awesome!"

"So is Rintaro!" Mrs. Suna pulled up alongside the school gates. "He knows to wait for you after school so you guys can walk home together. While in school, you'll also be following his class schedule. Okay then, have an eventful first day of school, Emiko!"

She slung her backpack over her shoulder and grabbed the container of snacks. She shut the car door and held up a peace sign. Once the car was out of sight, she turned around and took a deep breath.

The rule was a new school each year. Emiko didn't even bother questioning it at this point. Somehow though, this situation felt different. It made her heart palpitate.

The sign on the gates read Inarizaki in large, thick, black block letters.

"Wow," she commented, "very nice."

The girl they were anticipating meeting was waddling in through the front gates. She was tiny, even when wrapped in a purple marshmallow coat that gave her the body physic of a sumo wrestler.

The tip of her nose was pink. She scrunched it, glaring at the snowbanks and manoeuvring to step into the previously imprinted footsteps in the snow.

They had a solid plan but beside him, his teammates froze. They glanced at each other from the corners of their eyes. He shook his head, the snowball in his hands dropped.

Now that she was closer, he noticed a playful look in her dark eyes. She was either scowling or smirking, either way, the look on her face was dangerous. He felt his heart beat faster. He clenched his hands and realized they were sweaty. A thought hit him suddenly and he began to blush; _what if she looked at him like that?_

She pursed her lips and prepared to leap a longer distance from one footprint into the other, but the ground had a slab of black ice.

She fell back with a thump.

"Ha! Even the school grounds hate her!"

Emiko blinked at the sky. The fall didn't hurt her, but the dampness was beginning to settle against the back of her jeans. She kicked her feet in a mild tantrum and then sat up.

There was a line up of around eighteen boys. She swore they were all seven feet tall; she would bet her life on that fact. What was even more intimidating was that each one of them was glaring at her as if she had just strangled their grandmother's favourite puppy.

Emiko liked puppies.

Determined to live another day to torment her Uncle Keishin (besides, her ancestors told her in a dream that she had much more tormenting to do) she scrambled backwards.

"Nope, no thanks. I am not looking to die. Peace out-" she grunted feeling someone behind her.

"Hello," a man leaned down and smiled widely, "ya must be Emiko Suzuki. I'm Coach Kurosu, welcome to Inarizaki." He grabbed her shoulders and spun her around.

One of the boys in the lineup cracked his neck. The other clenched his fist.

"Oh no," she fake laughed, "I'm not Emiko Suzuki. I'm Akira! Iro! Akira Iro! Yup, that's my name! And I was just leaving. You know, the head office of the manager thing called and they're transferring me to the other school."

He looked down, frowning. "Yer nametag says otherwise, Miss. Suzuki."

She clawed it off. "It's a misprint."

"Which school would ya be transferrin' to? I wasn't aware any other schools in Hyogo were participatin' in the event."

"No, they're going to send me back to Miyagi."

"Hm," he clicked his tongue and clapped her on the back. Emiko felt her soul leave her body for a second. "Fer now you'll be here. Don't ya worry, I'll look into this."

Her grip on the container tightened.

"Boys," the Coach yelled. Her Uncle never yelled like that. He usually waited until Karasuno's team got tired or until Ennoshita lost his patience.

"You're trying to establish dominance," she whispered in horror, "it's working."

He didn't hear her. "This is Emiko Suzuki from Karasuno High. She'll be our manager fer the next week and a half. Atsumu," he called.

At the mention of his name, Emiko's eyes widened. She prayed to her ancestors and the guardian dragon of her clan that he did not remember her following his Instagram account, only to unfollow him seconds after.

Atsumu was just as tall as the others. He walked towards them, a mischievous glint in his brown eyes. Pure power radiated off him. He smirked and reached his hand out to her. "Atsumu Miya, captain."

"You're nothing like my captain."

"Why's that?" he humoured her.

"My Captain is super chill and even if he looks like he's going to murder me, I know he won't do it because I'm his favourite. Oh, how I took him for granted."

"Don't be rude," he reached for her hand, "I'm yer captain now."

"I don't want you."

Still, Atsumu grabbed her shaking hand and tightened his grip almost painfully. He leaned in and whispered in her ear. "We're gonna eat ya alive."

"Oh, would you look at that!" Coach Kurosu exclaimed. He shoved his phone into Emiko's face. "Yup. They sent us the right one, it's you! Alright everyone, let's head back inside for some drills!"

The team obeyed but Emiko straggled behind. Once they were far from earshot, she fumbled with her phone and dialled a number.

On the eighth ring, he answered

"Uncle Keishin, can I come home?"

Her answer was the dial tone when he ended the call.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go! Who is ready for Itachiyama and Inarizaki? Gah!! We are so excited to share this arc with you all!
> 
> Also, thank you to everyone who commented on the last author's note, we will have backstories for the first years soon.
> 
> Pst Author 2, who was that guy who was looking at Emiko? 
> 
> I'm not sure author 1, but all we can say is that Kunimi and Kageyama need to watch out, someone from Inarizaki is about to steal their girl 😉
> 
> And although war has been waged against Karasuno by Inarizaki, don't think for a second that Mirae is any safer. Noya and Tanaka knew something was up when they gave her the pepper spray and taser.
> 
> Merry Christmas and happy holidays everyone! Please stay safe and take care of yourselves and your families💖 
> 
> We'll see you next week!


	8. The Declaration of War Because Why Not

****Day 1** **

Kyotani Kentaro, known as Mad Dog, was not an easy person to text. He would often reply days late and then spam, expecting a reply within half a second.

Still, Emiko was thankful for his friendship because when she told him about her trip to Hyogo, he promised to have his phone on standby. Now, while Coach Kurosu patted her on the back and explained what the rest of the week was going to look like for team training, she was asking Mad Dog for survival tips.

He offered to come and beat Inarizaki into submission and as tempting as the offer was, she had to decline.

“At the end, you’ll be given a questionnaire. Fill it out honestly. It will ask questions about Miss. Suzuki’s performance and will count towards her evaluation.”

She visibly cringed. For the next twelve days, she was literally defenceless. She had to choke back the sarcastic and snarky comments, she had to hold off on pranks, and all precious blackmail material had to be burned immediately. Inarizaki could do whatever they wanted and she had to endure.

It was all because she had made a promise to Ennoshita.

Emiko prayed to her ancestors for patience. A text came through; _I could take them on. Just say the word._

“Miyas,” The Coach narrowed his eyes. “If I find out ya let yer bias of Karasuno cloud yer judgement on her performance, I’m not gonna be happy.”

Atsumu snorted. Osamu blinked.

Emiko liked to think that she was an animal who continued to survive in her environment because of her instincts. She could usually tell how honest people were on the first impression. She had steered clear of many messy friendships by following her gut.

Most recently, she knew that no matter what, she had to avoid joining the drama club. Sure, the decision landed her as a manager on the Karasuno volleyball team and as overwhelming as it was, she loved it.

Besides, from what she heard, many viewers from the last drama production complained to the school about the show. Apparently, it was not very PG 13.

“Miss. Suzuki, do ya have anythin’ to say to the boys?”

She hid her phone behind her back and straightened her posture. This was it. She had to endure despite her gut telling her to book it out the gym doors.

“Call me Emiko,” she mustered the friendliest smile she could, “Suzuki is so formal, right?”

Fifteen pairs of eyes glared.

“Now, now, don’t all of you talk at once.” Her lips faltered. She cleared her throat and spun around a few times before she found the container of homemade granola bars. She grabbed them and popped the lid off. “Right, well, I hope we all learn from each other during this event. I also made you guys healthy granola bars. As a peace offering.”

Coach patted her head and left her in the team’s care. With each step that he took, she felt her lifespan shortening.

As the gym doors closed, Atsumu stepped forward. He eyed the snacks and then gingerly took the container from her.

She beamed. “You’re going to love them! There are three different types of chocolate in them, salted caramel, mixed nuts, oats and-”

“How nice of ya.”

He then threw the open container high into the air. It landed a few feet away with a hard smack, the snacks spilling onto the floor. Then, he raised his fist and gave a battle cry. “There will be no peace!”

“Argh!” the team cheered.

She scrambled backwards, holding her phone to her chest. This was an assault on all fronts. She was exposed. There was no possible way for her to find the weakest member and manipulate them into submission, no way for her to find allies.

“That’s fine,” she stuttered, her eyes locking onto the exit sign, “peace is overrated anyways.”

There was a vibrant glint in Atsumu’s brown eyes. He gestured to the ground and smirked over his shoulder. “Clean it up, Suzuki.”

She watched as the rest of the team made their way to the court. Her throat tightened when she exhaled. What kind of a statement would it make if she kicked the now uneatable food all over the gym floors and walked away?

Instead, she grabbed the box of tissues off the bench and crouched to sweep the crumbs off the floor.

She watched from under her bangs. Atsumu and another boy were sending perfect sets. The spikers had impressive jumping power and each time the ball slammed onto the court with a harsh slap.

She had to think positively. The best she could do right now was spy on them and go back to Karasuno with information to butcher Inarizaki at nationals.

“Sorry I’m late!” a high-pitched voice sang, “I’m here now and the jerseys are-”

He screamed, tripping over her crouched body. Emiko groaned when her face smacked the ground.

The boy stumbled to his feet and hoisted her up. He held her at arm's length, round eyes flickering from her head to her toes.

“Yeah!” Atsumu cheered, “It’s startin’! You,” he pointed at the boy whose face had gone pale, “Ya made it on my list!”

“What?” his lips trembled. He flickered his stare to Emiko. “What list?”

The Miya twins cackled.

“I’m so sorry.” The boy breathed heavily. He gestured to the washed jerseys that were now on the floor. “I couldn’t see ya.”

“It’s cool.”

“I’m Yukio Fukuda.” A dimple appeared on his cheek. “Yer the new manager, right?”

She nodded. “Emiko.”

He grabbed both of her hands and glowed. “Welcome to our school! I cannot wait to learn from ya. We’re both fairly new to the team, so let’s stick together!”

“Oh my God,” she staggered forward and gripped his forearms. His skin was warm, he was not as cold-blooded as the rest of them. She nodded her head eagerly.

“By the way, do ya know what list the Captain’s talkin’ about?”

“All I know is that he is a raging psychopath who wants to eat me.” Then, her eyes widened with a realization. She pulled him towards the exit and gasped. “It’s a recipe list!”

“A recipe list?”

“He wants to eat me. He must want to eat you too. He’s put us on a list because he’s a freaking cannibal and-”

“Suzuki.”

She froze. Cautiously, she peeked around Yukio’s body and saw Atsumu stalking towards them. His hands were on his hips and the devil’s smirk on his face.

“Yukio, when I give you the signal, run.”

“What are the two of ya whisperin’ about?”

“Nothing,” she stuttered the exact second Yukio answered, “Recipes.”

He tilted his head to the side. “Right. Anyways, Suzuki, go and fetch the tape from storage. Yer the manager, yeah? Can’t have ya slackin’ off ‘specially on the first day. Get to it. Chop-chop.”

She hesitated for a second before turning on her heels. This was a simple request, one she had completed too many times for the Karasuno boys. There was no ulterior motive that she could think of. Emiko pushed the storage door open and frowned.

This was the type of mess that sent Mirae into cardiac arrest. She made a mental note to organize it later.

At Karasuno, the necessary items were placed on the lower shelves so she and Yachi could easily reach them. She scanned around and noticed a sign on the ceiling; _Can ya reach?_ Stored on the highest shelf were the rolls of tape and the medical kits.

She jumped in vain. There was no ladder in sight and when she tested the sturdiness of the cabinets to climb up them, they shook worse than the ones at Sakenoshita’s Store.

She stomped her feet and growled like a demon.

Someone coughed behind her. “Sorry,” the boy blushed, “didn’t know someone was in here. I was just gettin’ extra volleyballs.”

“Oh wow,” she looked him up and down. “You’re tall. Like really tall. You’ve gotta be what, seven feet?”

He scratched the back of his head, smiling. “I’m uh, six feet.”

“Six feet?” her eyes widened. “My first year back home is six feet, he’s a middle blocker. Oh wait, are you a middle blocker too?”

“I’m a wing-spiker.”

“Damn,” she drawled. “So you’re advanced then, huh? Like one of those guys who can do everything.”

“I don’t know?”

“That’s cool.” She blinked, a lightbulb appearing over her head. “You have nice hair. It’s very um, black. Yeah, very nice black hair.”

The tips of his ears turned red. “Your hair is nice too- not nice. It’s pretty, I mean. It looks soft. Your hair looks pretty.” He mumbled under his breath and then pushed his shoulders back. He extended a hand. “My name’s Riseki.”

“Unique name,” she slapped his hand in greeting. “You wouldn’t know how many Emiko’s I know, but I’ve never met a Riseki before.”

“I’ve never met an Emiko-” his face flushed, “sorry, is it okay for me to call ya that?”

“Of course! I would prefer it actually. Quick question Riseki, that battle cry earlier was a joke, right? You guys are not actually going to eat me, right? I keep asking my ancestors if this is going to be the last week of my life, but they aren’t answering me.”

His breath hitched in his throat. “Our Captain’s pretty intense and from what I know, he’s made up his mind ‘bout ya. But the other guys wanna know ya. I wanna know ya too.”

“Really?” she threw her head back and sighed. “That’s a relief. Your Captain is terrifying. You guys should probably get him some medical help. Trust me, he needs it. I have experience with people like him.”

“You have experience?”

She nodded innocently. “While you are here, do you mind grabbing me the tape and medical kit from the top shelf? Please? I really cannot afford to fail at my first task as Manager.”

“Oh- of course.”

She watched enviously as he grabbed and handed them to her.

“Thanks, Riseki! You’re a real one!”

She turned around and bounced out of the storage room. He peeped out and watched as she slowed her steps and cautiously approached Atsumu. Riseki shook his head, fighting back a smile. He wheeled the cart of volleyballs outside to where some of the team members were practicing serves. He took a spot beside Suna and noticed that his eyes were on their manager too.

“Are Osamu-san and Atsumu-san goin’ through with their plan?”

“Seems like it,” Suna murmured. He tore his eyes away as Yukio came running towards them with an armful of extra volleyballs.

“Being ball-boy is so scary!”

“It’ll distract them from fighting each other,” Suna added. “If you think about it, we’re avoiding Miya drama. Though, my page might be a bit dry on content for a bit.”

Yukio turned to look at them with shining eyes. “Emiko-chan is really nice. When I pushed her to the ground earlier, she didn’t mind at all. She didn’t even yell at me or tell me to go away and get a life! Plus, she’s already agreed to be my friend.”

“She ain’t looking for trouble though. Can’t we do somethin’? I just talked ta her and she’s kinda cute.” Riseki mumbled the last part.

Suna shuffled away, hiding his phone from view. “I’m not scared of the twins, obviously. But if you two are not going to harass her like they want the team to, then it’s best to ignore her.”

Riseki and Yukio glanced at each other and frowned.

“You must be Mirae Ando,” the brown-eyed man grinned, reaching out to shake her hand once she had her seatbelt clicked on. She felt his strong grip around her mitten and answered with a firm handshake. “My name is Coach Iwasaki, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Likewise.”

He checked over his shoulder and when it was safe, he pulled onto the road and began the short drive back to school.

“I’m sorry for being late,” he glanced at her and sighed, “truth is, the team Captain was supposed to come with me.”

“Don’t worry about it.” She chose to smile. Her train arrived in Tokyo nearly 45 minutes ago, and she spent that time checking her phone and feeling her face go numb as she waited for the Coach to pick her up. “Was there a problem the captain had to take care of?”

“Nothing like that,” he ran a hand down his face. “Sakusa is just a little- no, Sakusa is a major problem on my side.”

She blinked. “The Captain is a problem?”

“He’s an excellent player but not the friendliest person. He is especially cold to people he’s meeting for the first time. Please, do not be offended by him. If he gives you any problems, come straight to me.”

“I should be fine,” she assured and believed it herself. No matter how difficult a person was, Mirae believed she could bring out the best in them. This was not just because she could manage Karasuno nor was it because she was best friends with the gremlin known as Emiko Suzuki.

Ando was not just her name. It was a title she had to live up to.

Itachyiama’s campus was triple the size of Karasuno’s, and the gymnasium reserved for the volleyball club was on the other side of the property in the largest building. She followed Coach Iwasaki into the school where they walked down the empty halls to the office.

It was just after five pm, so most students were either in their dorms or at their respective clubs.

As they entered the office, a student who was waiting patiently by the desk stood up and greeted them.

“Good evening Coach.”

“Good evening!” He gestured to Mirae. “This is Ando, the sports manager from Karasuno. Ando, this is Himari the girls’ volleyball team captain. She will be your buddy for the duration of your stay with us.”

Himari smiled brightly. She was just as tall as Mirae and her body was built bigger from hours of training.

“Pleasure to meet you,” Mirae bowed.

“Consider me a fan,” her cheeks flushed. “I watched your sister play at nationals last year. Even before that though, I watched you two represent Yokohama in the Under 10 Tournament. Hopefully, Coach won’t have any qualms about me stealing you for an hour or so. The girls on our team would love to have you during one of our practices.”

Coach Iwasaka waved a hand. “Shouldn’t be a problem, Himari. We’ve got one of the best here, we should take advantage of that.”

“Yes sir!” she beamed. “Ando-chan, your dorm is right next to mine. I’ve got your school uniform and room keys here.”

“Thanks again, Himari. You can head on over to your practice.”

“Sure thing.” She handed the bag and keys to Mirae. “I’ll come by and pick you up after practice is done. See ya later!”

There were a few forms she needed to sign, but when they were done they went to meet the boys’ team.

With a campus as large as this one, signs were pointing in different directions. Mirae was surprised to see the track team practicing on the running field in such cold weather.

They walked up the steps to the gym. Coach Iwasaki pushed the door open and entered. Mirae took a breath of cold air and followed.

“The boys just finished stretching,” he nodded. “I can’t wait to see how you work with them.”

She exhaled a shaking breath and glanced at her fingers. Coach Iwasaki pointed out where the equipment and changing rooms were but his voice was background noise. She could not look up because a few feet away, the volleyball team had noticed their arrival and although they were in the middle of practice, her skin prickled with the suspicion that their eyes were on her.

“I’ll still need a bit of time to get used to the team dynamic,” she stuttered. “I should have a proper training plan by tomorrow or the day after.”

“It’ll be greatly appreciated.” He looked over her shoulder. “Sakusa, get over here, son.”

Mirae shut her eyes. The heavy feeling settled in her chest and her fingertips prickled. She was certain that if she turned around right now, every person would be ogling her. She zipped her jacket to her neck.

“Don’t worry,” the Coach assured her, “they’ll love you.”

All she could do was smile and nod.

One of her friends had once asked her what it was like to be so pretty? To be able to walk into a room and draw in attention effortlessly. To be able to recall favours with a simple smile.

Rina said it was an advantage. Mirae swallowed the bitterness in her mouth and agreed through a crafted smile.

Rina paired her beauty with wicked talent and a foul attitude. It was a strategy to have the attention she demanded while keeping people at arm’s length. No one in their right mind would ever dare approach her for something as silly as a love-letter.

Mirae got the brunt of it.

She could never be as conniving as her sister nor as confident. She blushed and stuttered and to most boys, it was an invitation to declare their undying infatuation.

If it were possible, she would give her so-called beauty to someone else. The unwanted attention was an attack on her as an individual person.

A shadow fell over her and she looked up.

“Quit that will you?” Coach Iwasaki frowned. “Ando, this is Sakusa. Sakusa, this is Ando.”

Her eyes grew wide at the intimidating ace spiker. His dark hair stuck out in all directions. The bored expression on his handsome face was complimented by brooding eyes. His shirt was drenched in sweat.

“Let me start off by apologizing for my sister’s actions and words.” Mirae bowed, swallowing back the stutter in her speech. “I’m the older twin so I should be looking out for her but she’s got a very dominant personality so that’s hard to do, especially since we don’t live together.”

A moment of silence passed before he spoke.

“It’s not necessary for you to bow.”

She blinked and then straightened her posture. He was looking away with furrowed brows, but the tension seemed to have left his body. Mirae exhaled through her nose.

It was time to meet the team.

The Itachiyama boys stared curiously. Coach Iwasaki’s words became background noise. He didn’t tell them the name of the girl coming in for the management program, _for her own privacy and safety_ hehad said.

Now the mystery was uncovered.

Nothing shocked them more than finding out that during the Miyagi city finals, when Karasuno’s Coach had to leave due to a family emergency, Mirae Ando acted as the coach on the court.

“Do you think the other team lost because of her smile?” Maeda the middle blocker whispered.

Harada the wing spiker shrugged. “I bet she sweet-talked them into losing. I’d let her sweet talk me into committing a crime.”

“No way,” Komori nudged them. “She’s beautiful, I won’t deny it, but she’s Ando. Don’t you remember her? She was ranked as the best female setter in all of Japan.”

Before they could answer him, Sakusa cut in. “The best in middle school.”

Coach Iwasaki finished his speech. He stood at the front of the gym with Mirae and patted her back. “Do you have anything to add, dear?”

She stepped forward and tried not to blush under wide-eyed stares. Itachiyama boys were all much taller and bigger in build. For the first time in a while, she was the smallest in the room.

She cleared her throat. “I think this is a wonderful opportunity to learn from each other. I haven’t been a manager for too long but what I’ve been working on with my team shows promising results. I hope it will help this team as well.”

Coach Iwasaki smiled. He blew the whistle hanging off his neck and signalled for the boys to begin their practice game.

It was as if everyone had renewed strength and energy. The spikers were slamming the balls with greater force, the receivers were calling out _mine_ and making efforts to get underneath the ball, and the blockers were jumping with dedication.

They would look over their shoulders and glance at Mirae in hopes of seeing her watching one of them. However, she sat on the coach’s bench, hunched over a clipboard.

Komori looked over at his cousin and noticed that he was scowling more so than usual. He walked up to him.

“You know, they’re only showing off because she’s cute.”

“Guess we should bring girls into the gym more often.”

“Yeah, for morning practice especially. Don’t mind them though, it’s good for morale. Our team definitely needs it.”

“Whatever.” Sakusa’s brows furrowed as Maeda went to spike a ball but it was caught in the net. “What should it be today? Suicide runs or burpees?”

Komori’s eyes widened. He had to think of something to divert his attention or they would all be subjected to Sakusa’s torture.

“So you’ve finally come to your senses?”

“What are you talking about?”

“About Mirae Ando, and how she’s not Rina Ando?”

“That witch is an assertive manipulator. This one is a stuttering mess. I was biased, I won’t lie, and for the first and only time I’ll concede and say that you were right.”

“How nice of you,” he chuckled. They were both watching Mirae who was talking to the Coach. “She’s really easy on the eyes, huh? I don’t know about you, but I find the stuttering cute.”

“I’m not talking about this.”

“You didn’t deny it,” Komori grinned.

“What?”

“When I called Ando cute. You didn’t deny it.”

Sakusa’s face was red from practice already but before Komori could point out his flustered expression, he grumbled under his breath and ducked below the net. “I’m on Team B. You stay there.”

Mirae thanked Coach Iwasaki for getting her the health profiles for each of the boys. She placed the papers in her binder and then turned her attention to the court.

Itachiyama’s starting lineup and their subs were in their first set of a practice game. As the first serve receive went up, the setter and spiker moved in position for a hard hit. The volleyball came barreling towards her and her eyes widened at the abrupt spun. She held her arm out, deflecting it.

“Strong hit,” she whistled.

“Sorry,” the libero smiled. He retrieved the ball and paused in front of her. “I haven’t had a chance to formally introduce myself. I’m Komori.”

“Kageyama’s friend from training camp!” she smiled, finally putting a face to the name.

“Yup, that’s me. By the way, you should probably sit on the other bench. A lot of spiked balls come flying this way,” he threw a look over his shoulder, “thanks to Sakusa’s wrists.”

“What’s wrong with his wrists?” she frowned.

“They’re kind of, how do I say this?”

Komori bent his hand backwards, muttering _ow, ow, ow_.

Her eyes widened as she glanced at the brooding man. He did not look like he was in any pain, but then again, Karasuno had its fair share of players who would fight through pain just to play a little longer.

“Sakusa?” she called, marching forward.

He wiped a bead of sweat from his face and glanced over.

“If there’s something wrong with your wrists we should get that checked with the nurse. You’ll sustain long-term injuries.”

Komori stifled his laugh. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

“What?”

“He’s got very flexible wrists. It’s disgusting but normal for him, I guess.”

“Oh,” her face flushed pink. “I’m going to go and- uh- check on your first years.”

She dashed around the court.

Komori rolled the volleyball to the other side. His teammate was preparing for another strong jump serve so he positioned himself farther back. He then noticed that Sakusa, who would usually be covering the back of his head, was staring at Ando.

He crouched down for the receive and smirked. 

“Well, I’ll be damned.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy (early) New Years everyone! We wish you all a safe, comfortable, healthy, and happy year. Hopefully you've all taken a much needed break from school and homework, and were able to spend time with your family.
> 
> So here they are. Inarizaki and Itachiyama finally have the girls and we're that much closer to seeing how Mirae uses the taser. If only Protect the Managers Squad had given something to Emiko for protection 😋
> 
> Yukio is a character we created after finishing the first draft of this arc, mainly because we felt so bad for leaving Emiko to fend for herself. Basically, it was ten chapters of Emiko just by herself vs all of Inarizaki. Oh! And there is also Riseki, you might remember him as the pinch server in the Karasuno vs Inarizaki game. 
> 
> As for Mirae, well, what do you guys think of Sakusa's first impression of her? It takes a while for him to open up (quite literally). 
> 
> P. s. Happy birthday to our Captain, Daichi Sawamura. We don't know how he put up with Karasuno, but we know that without him, Hinata and Kageyama's story would have ended way differently.
> 
> P. s. s. Expect a surprise upload on Monday 😉


	9. There's Nothing Wrong With Being Stupid

**Day 1**

The time on her phone read 8:54 am. School was going to start in six minutes, and she was no closer to finding the classroom.

Emiko was supposed to wait for Suna so that after practice, he could show her around the school and walk her to their first class. After experiencing the declaration of war, she took a risk and retreated. Now that decision was coming to bite her because the classroom numbers did not make any sense and she nearly locked herself in the janitor’s closet.

She cursed at herself for leaving the one person she was supposed to rely on while being here. One option was to text Mrs. Suna and ask for her son’s phone number, but the thought of what he could do with her phone number was unsettling.

The next step was to find an adult. She reached the attendance office and poked her head in. “Hello? I need to make an announcement. Hello? Is anyone here?” the door closed, and she peeped around. “Well then.”

She jumped into the spinning chair behind the desk and pulled herself to the table where the intercom sat. Clearing her throat, Emiko pressed the button labelled _school-wide announcements_.

“Sup Inarizaki, I hope you all are having an amazing day. Can I- wait,” she gasped, “I’m supposed to be a secretary. This needs to be more professional. Okay, let’s start over.” She paused and deepened her voice. “Good morning students, may Rintaro Suna please report to the attendance office. That’s Rintaro Suna to the attendance office, thank you for your time and have a wonderful day.”

She lifted her finger off the button and went to wait by the door. Now, there were four minutes before class started. Her thoughts wandered to her seatmate back at Karasuno and what he would be doing right about now.

After her old seatmate Akiro Iro had almost punched her square in the face, in front of the entire class and the Sensei, Emiko was moved to the far right side of the classroom. Her new seatmate was a boy on the basketball team who drooled on his desk as he slept.

To say that it was an upgrade, would be an understatement.

The door opened and Emiko glanced up. She smiled sheepishly at the frowning boy.

“Please don’t hit me.”

He squinted his cat-like eyes and turned around. Emiko ran after him. He was nothing like what Mrs. Suna described but she could understand the bias. He was not tiny, but by the way his shoulders hunched and how he dragged his feet, he did look small.

The classroom was at the end of the hallway. The Sensei greeted her as they entered and asked her to sit next to Suna. She followed him to the desk at the back of the classroom.

Her Sensei had provided her with a full two weeks of homework and lessons to complete and she would rather not spend her evenings doing it. So, Emiko got to work arranging her notebooks and pens.

Just as she completed the first math question, someone dropped a black bag on the desk. Her nose scrunched in distaste and she looked up.

Bored, round grey eyes peered down. He leaned closer and pouted. “Up.”

“What?”

“Up.”

Emiko tilted her head back and stared at the ceiling. The tiles were white. There was nothing of interest there. She flickered her stare back to the grey-eyed twin and frowned. “Are you talking about the Pixar movie _Up_?”

“Move,” he grumbled.

“Dude, move your mouth. I don’t know what you’re saying.”

He slammed his hands on the desk and got in her face. “Move!” he dragged the word out.

“Osamu,” Sensei rose from her seat and placed her hands on her hips, “indoor voices.”

“S’not my fault she’s got a hearin’ impediment. I hafta adjust.”

Suna buried his face in his arms, his body shaking.

“Be nice to our guest!”

Osamu’s eyebrows scrunched together. He yanked the chair beside Emiko and dropped in it with a loud huff. He then pulled his bag off the desk and it nearly sent her notebooks flying.

The lesson began and Emiko quickly made her way through the homework package. Suna on her right was snoring silently, using his own arms as a pillow. Osamu on her left was glaring daggers into her head. She held her tongue between her teeth and focused on the homework.

Growing up with a twin, Osamu knew every effective and efficient way to yank at those last few nerves. The girl sitting beside him was doing a pretty darn good job at ignoring him, but she could not keep it up forever. He threw his arms in the air and yawned. In the process, he smacked her head.

The pen skid across the page.

She looked up and frowned. He raised an eyebrow, the hint of a smirk on his lips.

“Yer in m’way.”

She shifted closer to Suna who continued to snore.

When the school day ended, she nearly screamed with joy. For the first time ever, Emiko was thankful for having to walk. She sat the entire school day in her seat, refusing to go to the cafeteria for lunch even, and her bottom half was numb.

She yanked the gym doors open and huffed. It would take some time for her to find everything, but she was going to set up the gym before the boys showed up for evening practice.

For the most part, it was an easy task. She wheeled out the volleyball carts, separated the ones that needed air from the ones that didn’t, and untangled the nets. The only problem she had was when she tripped as she moved the coach’s bench against the wall.

Emiko had just locked the poles in place when the doors opened.

“Hey guys,” she greeted. “You’re all pretty early. Practice doesn’t start for another twenty minutes.”

Riseki was the first to recover. He cleared his throat and smiled. “Yeah, the second years set up.”

“Oh. Well, that’s okay.”

“Thanks fer settin’ it up. We’ll help ya with the nets.”

“You know,” she said as she ducked under their arms and tied the bottom part of the net to the poles, “at Karasuno, my friend and I set the entire gym up in twenty minutes. But when you have five people doing it, it gets finished pretty quickly.”

“Yeah?” Riseki looked down at her, a fond smile on his lips.

“Yup. Oh, and you guys don’t need to come to set up the gym anymore. I’ll do it and I’ll get Yukio to help me. You guys should use that time to rest before practise starts so you don’t tire yourselves out.”

“We’ll keep that in mind, thanks.”

As they began their stretches, she ran to change out of her school uniform. The hallways were still filled with students, so she weaved around their bodies until she found the girls’ bathroom. Once she was comfortable in a pair of sweatpants and her Karasuno jacket, she scurried back the same way she came.

She pushed open the doors and froze when everyone stared at her.

At first, she wondered if she was late but the time on her phone read 3:58pm. Then she looked at her clothing to see if she was wearing anything inside out. She was not.

Hesitantly she made her way to the side of the gym.

“Rintaro?”

He lazily looked up from where he was sitting on the floor. “Yeah?”

“Why is everyone staring at me?”

“The Miyas are trying to make you uncomfortable.”

“Is it workin’?”

She yelped and nearly fell to the ground to take cover. Atsumu’s voice was right next to her ear.

He cleared his throat and pointed an accusatory finger at her. “Suzuki’s late to practice, ‘member that for the evaluation. She's late and actin’ all lazy.”

“What?” she choked. “No, I’m not late. I set up the gym then I went to change. Ask the second years. I literally helped Riseki with the volleyball nets.”

Suna squinted his eyes at her. “That’s sus.”

“How is that sus?”

A mischievous grin made its way onto Atsumu’s lips. “Suzuki’s talkin’ back to me. I’m the Captain and ya’ve gotta listen to me. Instead, yer givin’ yer unwanted opinion. Everyone, make sure to mark down that she’s disrespectful too.”

Osamu nodded. “S’not very professional of ya.”

“But-”

“Suzuki,” a new voiced called. Ginjima stepped forward, hands held up in surrender. “Maybe ya should walk away. Ya don’t look so well.”

Her brows scrunched together. “I’m not late or lazy and I am professional. I promise. I’m the most professional to exist. Even Mrs. Suna said so.”

“Liar. Ya were late and now that yer caught yer trynna get away with it.” Osamu shook his head. “Suzuki, s’not good to lie.”

“Twins, enough.” Ginjima pushed them away from her.

Content with their performance, they announced the start of practice.

Her face burned red. The twins were trying to embarrass her in front of the team, and it worked. She did not say a word to Ginjima or Suna and instead clenched her jaw. She marched to the storage room.

Emiko was intent on proving her worth as manager to the Inarizaki boys. The team had already made up their mind about her so she would just have to change that view by showing how hard she could work for them.

It was going to be difficult, but it was not anything different from what she had experienced before. Emiko Suzuki was faced with a fight; one she was not going to back down from so easily.

Before she knew it, the storage room was cleaned so that it met Mirae’s standards and practice was over. Emiko did not linger for another attack. She grabbed her bag and waited for Suna to change. Then, they walked the ten minutes to his home.

He was silent for the most part, instead busying himself with his phone. Emiko would have done the same, but she really needed to memorize the path to his house in case he ever tried to run. There was simply no way she could keep up if he chose to sprint.

They approached a two-story house with a little garden in the front. Suna walked up the steps first and retrieved his key. He turned to unlock the door but paused and looked over his shoulder.

“You’re not allergic to dogs, are you?”

“Huh?” abruptly she stood up from trying to smell the yellow flowers. “Oh no, I love dogs. Dogs are awesome.”

“Cool, we don’t have any.”

Her brows furrowed. “Then why’d you ask-”

“I’m kidding.” He opened the door and kicked his shoes off. Emiko followed him and closed the door behind them. She left her shoes on the stand and waited for his next move.

Suna was holding a small silver device. He pressed the button and it began to vibrate in his hands. He knelt to the ground and held it to the floor for a few seconds. He repeated this four times before the distinct sound of paws pattering on the floor could be heard.

“We have a dog, it’s called Inu. He’s really old so he just chills. Oh, and he’s deaf in one ear so he might not respond most of the time. We use this to send vibrations on the floors to let him know that we’re home. Don’t sneak up on him.”

Emiko cringed. “Why would you name your dog, dog?”

“I was six.”

“So? I had a clownfish at the age of three, but you didn’t see me calling it clownfish. No, I called it Nemo.” She grinned proudly.

Suna frowned. “Such a cliché.”

“Hey, calling a dog, dog is much more cliché.”

“No, it isn’t.”

“Yes, it- Oh is that Inu?”

He turned to greet the golden Shiba Inu. Gingerly, he ran his fingers down his back as a lazy but fond smile tugged at his lips. Emiko crouched down beside him, offering a palm. Inu’s eyes widened as he stared. He sniffed at her hand and then pressed wet kisses to it.

She cradled his face. Inu snuggled up against her and Emiko almost fainted.

“He is so cute!”

Suna pushed their bags to the corner of the hallway and then walked to the kitchen. “Suzuki leave Inu alone and tell me what you want to eat. I’ll order.”

She heaved as she picked up the dog and followed him into the kitchen. “As long as it’s not fish,” she buckled under Inu’s weight, “or sesame seeds, I don’t care.”

“Alright, fish it is then.”

Her face fell, “What? No- I literally just said no fish!”

“Relax, I’m kidding. I’ll order ramen. We have to do our homework so you can wait in the living room, I’ll be there in a bit.”

Inu followed her as she set up camp. She opened her bag and pulled out her textbooks but the wide-eyed dog distracted her from any work she could hope to complete. Instead, she angled her phone and snapped multiple pictures. A while later, Suna joined her with his own homework.

“Do you need any help?” he asked.

“I know what I’m doing. Thanks.”

He nodded his head. Out of curiosity, he stretched over the table and glanced at her homework.

“Seems pretty easy- the stuff you’re learning there.”

“Well obviously you think it’s easy, you’re a third year.”

He leaned back putting his weight on his hands. “What class are you in Suzuki?”

“Class one,” she offered proudly.

“So, you’re stupid.”

Her face fell into a frown. “I am not stupid.”

“There’s nothing wrong with being stupid.”

“I’m not stupid.”

“Just come to terms with being stupid and stop denying it. We are all in the same boat here. Me, you, Osamu, Atsumu, Ginjima.”

She crossed her arms over her chest and glared. “I’m in class one because I want to be.”

“Oh, really now?”

“Yes. I manipulated my answers for the entrance exam because I didn’t want to be in any college prep classes.”

“But you’re stupid, so you wouldn’t be placed in there anyways.”

“I am not stupid.”

He smirked and reached for his phone. “This is going in the group chat.”

“Group chat?” her face fell. “What group chat? Rintaro, what group chat?”

He typed into his phone, laughed, and looked up.

“Say, what do you wanna do after you graduate school?”

“I am going to own a food truck.”

He looked at her and then broke out laughing.

“You’re stupid,” he concluded.

“I am not stupid.”

He reached for his phone again. “The group chat,” he snorted, “I have to tell Osamu about this.”

“But I’m not stupid!”

Without looking up, he held his finger to her lips. “Shh, not so loud. You’re gonna wake up Inu.”

Emiko’s eyes widened and she slapped her hands across her mouth. After a second of silence, he broke out into laughter. “The group chat!”

She realized why he was laughing uncontrollably and frowned.

After a long day of practice, Mirae stood by the gym doors and turned on her phone. The notification bell blinked as messages popped on her screen. The latest was 17 missed calls from her beloved first year Shoji.

Guilt settled in and she quickly opened her facetime app. She clicked on his name and waited a few seconds.

“Finally,” he huffed, and his green eyes peered at her. “Where are you?”

“Tokyo, you know that- Shoji your face is too close to the camera.”

“Oh, sorry.” He lied on his stomach on the floor of the gym and placed the phone against the wall. “Better?”

“Much better. So, go on and tell me, how is the training camp?”

His brows furrowed. “There’s this guy from another school. I hate his sets.”

“Is he a setter?”

“Yeah.”

“Then you have to train with him.”

“Yeah, but I like your sets better,” he grumbled. “When are you coming back?”

“Two weeks.”

“No.”

“Shoji, we talked about this.”

“No.”

“What’s wrong with you?” a familiar voice asked from the background. A moment later, Takita peeped into the camera, his handsome face betraying exhaustion. His eyes widened a fraction as he smiled a hello and talked about their first day at the training camp.

Then Shoji started hitting his head against the floor.

“You’re losing brain cells.”

Takita snorted. “As if he has any to begin with- Hit me and I’ll choke you.”

Shoji growled under his breath and sat up. “It’s not fair,” he whined, “you’re our manager. You should be here.”

“Quit being selfish, dude.”

Mirae tried to sympathize with him. “This is a great learning opportunity and I’m happy to be part of it. Yeah, I miss you guys but Yachi is still there and I know she’s taking care of you guys just as well as I or Emiko could.”

“Have you talked to her?” Takita butted in. “The last message I got from her was a skull emoji and a poop emoji. I think she’s having bathroom problems.”

Mirae stifled a laugh and shook her head. “I haven’t been on my phone all day. Shoji was the first person I called. Don’t worry though, I’ll check up on her. You guys just focus on practicing. I mean, you are going to nationals! How cool is that?”

Shoji fell sideways onto Takita’s shoulder. “We’re going to be out of practice. These losers can’t set for the life of them.”

“What the hell do you have against that guy?”

“His sets are terrible. I don’t know why he’s here.”

“You know,” Takita smirked, “we could’ve snuck ‘Tome in here.”

“Can we?”

“No you cannot,” Mirae scowled. Given their personalities, they would most definitely kidnap Yaotome and bring him into the training camp. What type of trouble that could lead them to, she didn’t even want to think about it.

“Why not? Hinata got away with it last year.”

“You will leave ‘Tome out of your devilish shenanigans.”

“No wonder we made it to the finals, everyone here sucks.”

“Hey don’t look down on the competition!”

“You’re one to talk,” Shoji rolled his eyes, “the only game you played in was the finals. Even then we had to drag you onto the court in the fourth set.”

Takita shoved him away. “Why do you gotta call me out like that?”

“Someone has to do it.”

“Whatever. Oh, Mirae, I was meaning to ask, what the hell is a soft block?”

She blinked. “Tsukishima explained this to you after the finals. On the bus ride home.”

“No, I mean what the hell is the point of a soft block? It’s such a weak move.”

“It’s literally not.”

“If you’re going to be a middle blocker, you gotta do your job properly,” he ignored her. “Get to the damn ball and don’t let it fall onto your side. Slam it and kill it. That’s it. It’s that easy. I can’t believe how lazy these guys are. Heck, even the wing spikers have to learn a thing or two.”

“So in conclusion, Shoji has a thing against setters and Takita has a thing against spikers and other blockers.”

“What the heck does that mean?” Shoji turned to him and glared. “You better not be grouping me in with the rest of these losers.”

“No, I was talking about those first years from Aoba Johsai and even Johzenji. Mirae can you make a note?”

“What note?” she asked cautiously.

“Remind me to talk to Tsukishima when I get back. He’s been getting lazy and doing soft blocks a few times.”

She ran her hands down her face. “If you approach Tsukishima with those words he will literally kick you.”

“I want to see that,” Shoji grinned.

Mirae heard the doors open as the Itachiyama boys came out of their changing rooms. They smiled and bid her goodnight, walking out.

“How was your day?” Takita asked, snapping his fingers at the camera. He dodged Shoji’s fist. “I’m guessing Itachiyama’s practice is over now?”

“Yeah, I’m just waiting for my buddy to walk me back to our dorms.”

“Are they treating you nice?”

“Yeah, are they?” Shoji narrowed his eyes. “Who’s that behind you?”

She glanced up and saw Komori snuggled into his sweater, the hood pulled over his head. He leaned down and grinned. “I’m Komori.”

“An Itachiyama boy,” Shoji glared.

“And you must be a Karasuno boy. Don’t worry, we’re taking good care of Ando while she’s here.”

He pouted. “You better take care of her.”

Mirae giggled and waved goodbye. The exhaustion was clear on their faces. She promised to check in with them again tomorrow and with that, ended the call.

“He’s a little possessive, wouldn’t you say?”

“No, I agree,” she laughed, “I think it's adorable.”

The change room doors opened once more. Sakusa shuffled out. His face scrunched when Komori waved at him.

“You have to meet Karasuno’s first year wing spiker, he’s hilarious!”

“No thanks. You think everyone’s hilarious and they turn out to be annoying. I seriously question your taste in comedy.”

“He is though,” Komori pressed. “Little guy was acting like we stole his girlfriend- wait, Ando, you’re not dating him, are you?”

Her eyes widened and she stepped back. “Shoji? No- he’s a baby!”

“I don’t like babies,” Sakusa frowned.

Before either could explain or point out the fact that this was a figure of speech, the gym doors groaned, and a raven-haired girl stumbled in. Her eyes widened at the boys and she quickly turned to Mirae. “Ready to go?”

“Thanks, Himari,” she slung the bag over her shoulder, “I’ll see you guys tomorrow morning.”

“Oh, you don’t have to come to morning practice,” Komori shrugged. “It’s optional. Rarely anyone shows up.”

“Really?” she frowned. “At Karasuno we have practice every day; morning and evening.”

“We can never get the first years to show up, right Sakusa?”

“It’s their choice. Plus, they’re not even on the bench.”

“We’ll see you tomorrow then,” Komori paused, “Hey Himari. How was your practice?”

Wordlessly, the raven-haired girl turned on her heels and tugged Mirae’s sleeve. 


	10. Unknown Territory, Maybe We Should Retreat

**Day 2**

The next morning, Komori made his way towards the gym at 5:45 am.

He stuck to a healthy sleeping schedule. Anything less than eight hours and his beloved cousin would berate and torture him via penalties during practice. It was cruel but understandable. A libero is vital to the team's defence. He had to maintain himself in perfect shape.

However, his teammates were active in the Itachiyama Group chat (the one they all conveniently forgot to add Sakusa to). Everyone was intrigued by Mirae Ando.

The first thing they talked about was her Instagram account which was private. Requesting to follow her at two in the morning seemed questionable, so they concluded that they would individually send a follow request later in the day.

The second and most obvious was the gossip they had found surrounding her short-term volleyball career. She was talented enough to win Gold in the Under 10 Tournament as the starting setter no less. In the years that followed, her popularity died down. An average middle school. A knee injury. From urbanized Yokohama to small-town Miyagi.

This was surprising since her twin sister Rina grew to rank as a top three-wing spiker.

Last, Kiyoomi Sakusa. They were used to his blunt attitude, honest to a fault and pride. Everyone one of them agreed that they had to minimize the amount of time he spent with their temporary manager.

It would not be the first time a girl burst into tears because of him but if they could help it, Ando would not fall victim.

It took a few tries for the keys to fit into the lock but then the door nudged open.

Komori pushed through and saw that the lights were on. Two nets were set up. He walked in, scanning the gym and then saw Mirae pushing a cart of volleyballs out of the storage room.

"Good morning," she smiled. She was wearing a pair of black sports pants and a grey v-neck shirt. She had tied her Itachiyama jacket around her waist.

"Good morning. How come you're here early?" He rubbed his eyes and tossed his bag to the side of the gym. "How'd you get in anyway?"

"I asked Coach Iwasaki for the keys."

"You didn't need to."

"First rule of management," she turned to him and smirked knowingly, "Managers set up the equipment so you boys can stretch properly and start practise on time."

"I could get used to this treatment," he grinned. "Thanks!"

"No problem. Practice starts at 6, right?"

Komori took a volleyball from the cart and smacked it against the ground. "Yup. It's usually just four or five of us."

He began to play bump when she snatched it mid-air.

"You have to stretch first," she scolded. "You'll hurt yourself."

"She's right," a deep voice murmured. Sakusa walked past them briskly.

Komori and Mirae shrieked.

"Why do you pop up out of nowhere?" Komori growled. "Your mother told you to stop creeping up on people. The doors don't even squeak when you come in. Do you oil them or something?"

"Shouldn't the janitor oil the door hinges?"

"They would but _Mr. If You Wants Something Done Right, You Do It Yourself_ does it before they've had a chance to."

Sakusa shot him a glare. He stood away from them and stretched his shoulders.

It was not unusual for him to come to practise early. He liked to check the equipment and ensure his teammates kept the storage room organized. Today was a bit different though. Sakusa had come with the intention of catching Mirae Ando alone.

He had questions. About managers and about herself. He was curious, there was nothing else to it, and yet as he prepared himself to talk to her his throat would freeze up.

Hesitancy. Sakusa hesitated when it came to a lot of things but never when talking to people. She was making him hesitant.

"Ando, you're a setter, right?" Komori asked easily, ever the conversationalist. "Would you mind helping me practice my sets?"

"Sure, but I will warn you that I haven't played for a few years now."

"Why not?" he asked. He bumped the volleyball to Mirae who received it overhand and sent it back. They started the scrimmage; shifting from bumps, overhand receives, and spikes.

"The girls' team at Karasuno isn't that strong. Without a strong team, you won't go very far. So, I decided to help the boys' team as a manager instead."

"Karasuno is pretty strong. We saw them play last year at nationals. Right, Sakusa? They were great!"

Sakusa murmured under his breath and picked up a volleyball. He walked to the other side of the net.

"Such a grouch," Komori clicked his tongue. "I heard you stopped playing after middle school though."

"I hurt my knee," she lied. "The semi-finals was my last game."

"Oh. What happened?"

"I got under the ball awkwardly. Fractured it when I hit the ground."

"Damn- you really don't go easy." Komori dove to the left, saving the ball with his wrist and sending it at a high arch. He smirked when she squeaked and almost tripped while running backwards.

"Speak for yourself," she huffed.

"Didn't you get scouted for Hisamitsu High?"

She received underhand and made a gentler pass. "Yeah."

"I mean, most fractures take six weeks to heal. You still could've played on their team, even in the second semester."

From where she was standing, he set one and a half ball's width from the net. Mirae leaped forward and spiked it over.

"In my last year of middle school, I learned some things. I had to make different decisions based on that. I don't regret it." She dove under the net and retrieved the ball. It was quiet for a minute as they steadied their breaths. Then, she glanced up and smiled. "Great set, by the way."

Breakfast was quiet.

Mr. Suna was happily completing the crosswords in the newspaper. Mrs. Suna had just given Inu his food and joined them. Suna himself was reading through a series of text messages. The corners of his lips lifted as he snickered.

Emiko held her suspicions that he was making fun of her in whatever group chat existed.

"Rintaro," his mother called, "how did the boys like the snacks Emiko prepared?"

Both teenagers froze.

Emiko shifted in her seat and faced him expectantly. "I can't believe I forgot about that. How did you like the snacks I made?"

He glared from across the table. "I heard they were really good. That's why not everyone was able to try one, me included."

"Really?" she asked in a voice of bewilderment. "I could have sworn I made more than enough for each of you."

"Yeah, well, I guess the first person who got them didn't leave any for the rest of us."

Emiko angrily stabbed into her plate. "Oh wow, this is really good food. It would be a pity if I were to throw it out and then lie about it."

Suna leaned back into his seat. "Why would you even think about wasting food like that? My lovely Ma woke up early and cooked it with care."

"It was a hypothetical," she snapped back, "I'd never do that to food. Much less to Mrs. Suna's food. This is very delicious, Mrs. Suna. You are one amazing cook."

"Thank you dear!" she brightened, oblivious to the glaring contest.

Emiko was not going to lose, whatever this was, first. She clenched her teeth and refused to talk.

The walk to school was quiet. In the halls, she did not bother him with directions to the bathroom. Throughout the first half of school, she remained mute and surprisingly completed more than half of her daily work.

Emiko was surprised to realize how much she could power through when she was focused.

"You coming?" he asked.

Inwardly, she smirked. He broke the silent treatment first.

She peered up from the book she was reading and quickly hid behind the words. "Nope."

"That wasn't a question."

"Sure it was," she shifted lower into her desk, "the tone of your voice at the end changed. If this were a script, there would be a big, bolded question mark. You were asking me, not telling me."

He yanked the book from her hands and threw it on the desk. "Come on Suzuki, I'm not playing games."

"I'm not trying to play games either. You can go, I'm just going to stay back and finish my homework."

"You did though."

"Bye-bye Rintaro." She reached for her book but this time he dragged her chair. Emiko aimlessly reached out.

"Come on." He reached under her arms and lifted her.

"Holy- stop it! Put me down, I do not appreciate being man-handled thank you very much!" She stumbled to her feet and scampered away. "How in the world are you strong?"

"I'm an athlete?"

"But you're so lanky. And lazy. And your posture is terrible. And you're always sleeping."

He blinked. "Athletes need sleep. Now, come on, lunch'll be over by the time we get to the caf."

She hesitated but ultimately decided to follow him. For someone so lazy, he seemed to float down the halls. Students moved to the side and just like the previous day when they walked home, Emiko kept up with his pace.

"Rintaro," she called, "why are you so pushy about me coming to the cafeteria today? You didn't mind yesterday."

He didn't bother looking back at her. "It's my Ma. She wants you to make at least two friends who aren't from the team."

"So, we say I made two friends."

"I'm not lying to my Ma." He held the doors to the cafeteria open and waited for her to walk in. "Besides, she's on the committee. She knows the teachers and most students. If we try to make something up, she'll find out. Come on, we've got to find you friends."

She yelped when he grabbed her forearm and pushed her in. Then he led the way to a table that was crowded with familiar faces. Before she could turn around and bolt, he pushed her into the seat and caged her between himself and Ginjima.

She frowned and tried to complain but a familiar face smiled from across her. She beamed and threw a peace sign at Riseki.

Suna narrowed his eyes at them. "That's sus."

"Ew," Osamu deadpanned, "It's hideous."

"I lost my appetite." Atsumu gagged and threw his body to the side. "How could ya, Rin? 'Specially durin' lunch."

"She needs to make two friends."

"Impossible," the twins voiced.

The other boy beside her tapped her shoulder. Emiko turned to face him and flinched.

"I'm sorry for existing."

The voices went mute. Then, the twins howled, banging their fists on the table.

"Hey, 'Samu,"

"Yeah, 'Tsumu?"

"She's sorry."

Osamu wiped a tear from his eye. "Fer existin'."

Ginjima scowled. "Ya twins are the most thoughtless beings I've ever met. Don't mind 'em, Suzuki. They've got nothin' better ta do."

"No, I'm pretty sure they do, but this is just a part of the hazing ritual, right? New students get hazed as a part of a welcoming?"

Before he could answer, Atsumu scoffed. "Yer not welcome."

"Ha-ha, he's a funny one."

"We're not jokin'," Osamu added, "yer gonna regret leavin' the safety of Karasuno. We'll send ya back in a coffin."

Her throat ran dry. The tone of their voices was deep and steady, no indication of playful humour. She had a terrible flashback of the first-year manager from Nekoma, Haru, and how poisonous her words were. How much damage they did.

"Yo, Suzuki," Suna peered over her shoulder with narrowed eyes, "lower your collar."

Ginjima stuttered, choking on air.

"I think- yeah," he continued, eyes frozen on her skin, "she's got a hickey."

Riseki choked on his drink. The other boys snapped their attention to her neck. Emiko zipped her jacket, stuttering out a response.

"I do not!"

"Suzuki that is disgustin'," Atsumu cringed. "Stay away from me, thanks."

"I sit next to her in class," Osamu groaned. "If I get a disease, I'm gonna kill ya."

"I do not have a hickey! It's a bruise- my first year choked me." She whipped her head back and forth. "I promise!"

"Can't believe I share a roof with you," Suna shook his head. "Whatever. Get me a snack or I'll tell my Ma about it." He shoved a few paper bills into her hand and pointed to the side of the cafeteria. "As long as it's not a salad, I don't care what you get me."

The twins cheered. Then, they contemplated using her as their own personal maid.

Emiko would have shoved the money down his shirt, but she was eager for any excuse to leave the proximity of those twins. All those people who had ever called her mentally unstable had clearly never met the Miyas.

She had been the new student at many schools, even in foreign countries where she did not fully speak the language. Still, she pushed through. She made allies and kept up the act as the source of comedy relief so people would never see the need to make an enemy out of her.

Here though, they had made their decision before they had met her. They were prepared for a fight.

Emiko grabbed a package of two in one tuna onigiri and went to the drinks cooler. As she waited for the person in front of her to move, two girls stepped forward and introduced themselves.

"Ya must be the girl they brought in from Miyagi."

"Karasuno's manager, innit?"

"Yup," she glanced around, "that's me."

"Nice ta meet ya. What's yer name?"

"Emiko," she offered. "What are your names?"

The brunette with waist-length hair waved her fingers. "Vanji."

"And I'm Kadiri." She opened the fridge door and gestured for Emiko to choose her drink. "I'm in yer class, actually. Though ya sit in the back with Suna and Osamu Miya, so I didn't recognize ya at first."

"Right, would you mind changing seats?" she laughed. They walked to the cash registers to pay. Emiko waited as the lunch lady rung her in. "That's a serious offer, by the way."

"Don't be coy," Vanji rolled her eyes and smirked, "yer like us."

"Like you?"

"Yep. Playin' hard ta get knowin' that's how ta get their attention."

"Whose attention, exactly?" she paid and moved to the side.

Kadiri giggled as she popped a piece of chicken into her mouth. Vanji slipped her change into her pocket and the three of them walked towards the tables.

"Of all the boys at our school, the volleyball team has the most attractive players. They're not easy ta get. Too many girls have tried confessin' only ta get rejected."

"Yer smart for pickin' upon the tactic so quickly," Vanji nodded, "but we've gotta be on the same page, yeah?"

"I don't like where this conversation is going."

Vanji stepped up and blocked Emiko's path. She was too close for comfort and Emiko held back a gag when she smelt fish on the girl's breath. It was only after exhaling slowly so as not to offend her, did she realize a weight on her left foot.

Vanji was stepping on her shoe. Her lips turned up in an ugly grin.

"Atsumu Miya is mine. Kadiri has dibs on Rintaro Suna. Ya can have Osamu Miya, but dontcha even think about stealing ours."

She could not help it. Emiko lifted her other leg and kneed the girl in the stomach.

She heaved and stumbled backwards.

"Full offence, Vanji, but your breath stinks. You should really brush your teeth especially after eating seafood. Or, hello, chew a stick of gum. There is no way you're getting a guy smelling like that."

"You bit-"

"That's rude," Emiko frowned. She dug into her pocket and retrieved a packet of gum. "Have this until you get home. Then, I suggest cleaning your mouth out with soap. Bye!"

She didn't bother waiting around. With a small skip in her steps, she made her way back to the cafeteria table where Ginjima and another brunette were in the middle of an arm-wrestling match. Everyone was placing bets, other than Suna who had pointed out his camera and was videotaping it.

"Special delivery." She dropped the package of onigiri in front of him. "Now if you don't mind, I'm going back to class."

He grabbed the hem of her shirt. Finally tearing his eyes away from his phone, he looked up and frowned. "Give me my drink."

"This?" she waved the can of lemon flavoured tea. "Sorry but this is mine."

"Was my money-"

"-That you gave to me. You're lucky I don't charge a delivery fee."

She slapped his hand off and walked away as fast as she could. It wasn't until she was sitting in the safety of her desk in the classroom that Emiko realized her knees were shaking.

The first time it happened, her parents shrugged it off as nerves. She was, after all, an eight-year-old child who was playing volleyball in front of a crowd of a hundred with cameras streaming.

The second time it happened, the school's guidance counsellor explained that it was anxiety. The stress of playing a competitive team sport and her academics were piling up and this was a normal reaction for a teenager.

The third time it happened, Mirae made an appointment with her doctor. She did not think her reactions were normal nerves or anxiety, she needed expert advice. After a check-up and multiple hour-long sessions with a therapist, they came to a conclusion.

Mirae had generalized anxiety and a panic disorder. She was sensitive in certain behavioural and emotional aspects.

It was what made anxious tics intolerable to the point where she had to bite through the skin to contain her anger.

It was why her emotions often bled into her decision making.

It was why her chest would squeeze to the point where she could not breathe.

Mirae did not simply feel nervous, she experienced it as sharp pricks attacking every nerve. If she chose flight, dozens of pairs of eyes would turn to criticize her so the only possible option would be to fight.

So, she would fight herself to endure.

Himari and the rest of the volleyball girls were a joyous and loud group. They gossiped in between bites of food and yelled over one another in conversation. Mirae was seated in the middle of it all. She tried to make herself smaller as the girls on either side of her pressed against her shoulders to yell farther down the table.

She was not going to make this mistake again. Tomorrow, before Himari could pack up her notes and walk to her desk, Mirae was going to disappear into the library.

"You got a scholarship offer to Hisamitsu, right?" the girl sitting across from her asked. "Why'd you turn it down."

"That's right!" another piped in. "Hisamitsu is the best school for girl's volleyball in Japan. They've been to nationals, like, 22 times now."

More heads turned in their directions and joined in on the conversation.

"Hisamitsu's won nationals for three years in a row."

"Didn't their Ace spiker and both middle blockers represent Japan in the Olympics last time?"

"Yeah, they did. The three of them just graduated too."

"Mirae," Himari called her attention, "we know you got injured and couldn't play anymore, but why'd you quit?"

That was a question she could not answer honestly.

For one, she absolutely loved volleyball. Watching it on a small screen or in a live gymnasium stimulated the gears in her head. Everything was in HD.

Then, when she could execute those same high-level techniques against a strong team and score a point, the exhilaration was enough to make her faint. To have a team dedicated and supportive and determined is an honour.

So, it was not a physical barrier that stopped her.

The betrayal, the responsibility, the guilt, and the fault were like chains that burned her from the inside out when she contemplated stepping onto the court again.

The very first time she set a ball for Hinata in the Karasuno gymnasium, she was half expecting to combust on the spot.

"I just," she paused, "I found something else I like."

"Couldn't you have managed the volleyball team at Hisamitsu though?"

"Yeah, but I wanted to be normal."

For the first time since they had sat down, the girls went mute. Their eyes widened at the confession. It was a silent urge for her to continue, to explain.

"I can't ever remember being normal, so I used the injury as an excuse to experience life like a typical high school girl. See, Rina and I were known as Sisters Ando. Everywhere we went people wanted autographs and pictures. It only got worse after we won the All-Japan Under 10 tournament. I'm not trying to brag or be conceited, but that's the way it was. I wanted to be normal."

"Well, Miyagi is a small town so if you wanted normal, it is the better choice."

Mirae nodded. "My Grandma lives there so I moved in with her. The boys' volleyball team needed help, so I joined their club."

"Interesting," Himari's lips turned up, "okay but you have to be honest now because I'm dying to know. Which school has the cuter guys? Karasuno or Itachiyama?"

"If it's Karasuno, will you set us up?" the girl on her left leaned closer and hugged her arm. "Please?

"No, she has to answer the question. For all we know, Karasuno guys are average at best."

"Don't be like that. We saw them play at nationals last year and if the volleyball team is anything to go by, they're-" she bit her lip and groaned.

Mirae felt her cheeks burn. These girls were city girls alright and she could not say she hated it. Their voices became louder and eventually turned into shouts and playful jabs. Apparently, the more rustic look of a small-town boy was very appealing.

"Ouch," Komori winced.

The other boys had solemn expressions on their faces. They were sitting one table away and could hear the gossip clearly.

"So, what, does this mean we have to change our clean-cut appearances?"

"You could start with less hair gel when you style that mess on your head."

"Wasn't there a bald guy on Karasuno's team last year? Wait, you should do that too."

"I'm not shaving my hair off."

"Whatever man, I don't care what those girls say. They're not the prettiest either."

"Yeah, but she is." Their eyes trailed over to Karasuno's manager who was blushing and stuttering, having been cornered into another question.

A dreamlike expression overcame their faces.

"It's not just us though," Komori shook his head, "she's got a first-year who is head over heels for her."

"Can you blame him?"

"Who wouldn't be?"

"What are you talking about?"

The boys shifted over and made room for Sakusa to sit down. He tossed a bag of chips to Komori who grinned in thanks.

"Mirae Ando," one explained.

"Yeah, what about her?"

"The girls want her to say which school has the better-looking guys."

Komori paused mid-bite. He leaned over the table, the grin of a trickster on his lips. "Makes you wonder which of the Ando sisters are the better-looking twin?"

Sakusa's lips pulled into a scowl.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a fair question 😋 No twin is an exact replica of the other and Sisters Ando are no exception. If you remember from the first book, their biggest difference is their eyes.
> 
> Poor Emiko. We love her so much and still, we put her through so much trouble. Forgive us! It's for the plot! It gets tough but she's tough too. It takes more than some rumours or fangirls to break Emiko Ukai 😉
> 
> We hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Please don't forget to vote ♥


	11. Horoscopes and Three Hour Facetime Calls- That's Sus

**Night Two**

Whoever came up with the term professional athletes should have added a note in the dictionary that mentioned high school students did not fall into that category. If anything, they should be referred to as delinquent athletes. Or athletic devils.

Yukio was holding a volleyball above his head. His lips trembled as he grimaced, eyes trying to find the humour that the rest of the team saw.

As expected, the ever responsible Ginjima was nowhere to be seen. Suna sat against the wall directing his phone camera. The Miya Twins cackled from the middle of it all.

“What are you doing to him?”

A path opened as she marched up. The voices hushed, laughter dying down.

Atsumu was the one to answer her.

“It’s a lesson of patience.”

“You’re making him stand with a volleyball over his head. How is that a lesson of patience?”

“Maybe she needs a lesson too.” Osamu narrowed his eyes. “Attitude check, yeah ‘Tsumu?”

“Yeah. The skipping ropes seem like a great idea.”

“It’s Fine, Emiko-chan!” Yukio stuttered. “This is easy, I’m fine. Don’t you worry about me.”

“Of course I’m going to worry about you. You’re the only normal one here.”

“Emiko-chan you said you don’t have any stamina. Heck, I saw you gasping for air hunched over your knees just yesterday when you walked up the stairs. If they force you to skip rope, you’ll die.”

“It’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make for you.”

“You’re into some sketchy stuff.” Suna cracked a grin as he stood up and slipped his phone into the pocket of his pants. “Sacrifices? What, are you part of the Devil’s club or something?”

“No.”

Atsumu scoffed. “Whatever. Yer a manager, yeah? So ya take care of stuff for us, yeah?”

“What _stuff_ are you talking about?” She narrowed her eyes and protectively stood in front of Yukio. “I take care of volleyball-related stuff and nothing more. Now, if you’ll excuse us, Yukio and I are going.”

She grabbed the first year’s sleeve and lowered his hands. The volleyball dropped to the ground. Everyone watched it roll away. She dragged Yukio but Osamu puffed out his chest and stood in front of her.

“Coach wanted me to remind ya about the assessment forms. Since our opinion impacts yer score and whatnot.”

The colour drained from her face. If there was one twin that terrified her more than the other, it was Osamu Miya. Beneath the indifference, his gaze was cold and calculated.

“No!” she screamed. Her eyes widened and she almost bowed. “Wait no, no- I mean I know where to get the papers, but- never mind. What do you need me to do? I’ll do it. Anything.”

The twins turned around and, out of complete thin air, they retrieved a stack of books each. They shoved them into Emiko and Yukio’s arms and then stepped back.

“Oh no,” someone murmured.

“These books need’a be ‘turned to the library.”

Emiko struggled with the weight. “Why is there so many? How many is this?”

“I’ve got twelve of ‘em. 'Samu’s is ten?”

“Yeah and they’re overdue by three months.”

“There’s no way you guys have to read this much in class 1 and 2.”

Suna snorted. “Wouldn’t you know.”

“Excuse you!”

“I’m in class four,” Yukio interrupted, “and I’ve never had to read this much for anythin’.”

“Nah, I just like swipin’ my student card fer each book. It makes a funny little sound.”

Osamu nodded. “S’fun.”

“You are simple-minded boys aren’t you?” she huffed. “If swiping your cards is so fun then why didn’t you guys just swipe your cards to renew the books?”

“That takes too much time. Now scram before the Coach comes back and realizes we’re usin’ ya as a slave.”

Emiko blinked. She wanted to drop the books on the floor and storm away, maybe even yell to add a dramatic effect to her performance. Then she remembered Ennoshita and stopped; taking a deep breath and praying for patience, Emiko made her way out the gym doors.

“Yukio,” she called over her shoulder once they were in the hallways. “I can’t see in front of me so let me know where to go, please.”

“Wait Emiko-chan-”

Just then she bumped into something and fell back. The books fell from her arms onto the floor.

“You just walked into Riseki-san.”

“What’re you guys doin’?” He dropped down next to her and helped pile the books. “Is there a reason you’ve checked out… _Toilet Paper Origami and Toothbrush Puppets_?”

She felt her face heat up. “That’s not mine. I promise. I make sure to stay far away from arts and crafts. I’m more of a baker, you know?”

“Hi, Riseki-san! Emiko-chan and I are takin’ a trip to the library because Atsumu-san and Osamu-san asked us to return these overdue books.”

“Well it wasn’t really asking, more like threatening, but yes, we are going to the library.”

“Oh, I’ll come with ya, then.” He took the books from her. “Besides, ya can’t carry all of these by yerself.”

“Thanks, Riseki, you’re a real one.” She flashed him a smile and skipped down the halls. The boys followed.

“I should apologize fer our Captain and vice-Captain’s behaviour. They’re jokin' with ya, trynna get a kick to lighten up the team’s mood and whatnot.”

“Oh, no worries. Entertaining is basically in my job description- it’s a lot of what I do for our boys at Karasuno.”

“I feel like they’re makin’ ya do more than what is necessary though.”

Emiko laughed. “No, it’s okay. Even though Karasuno has responsible guys, there are some days where I have to do things like this for them. Really it’s no trouble.”

Yukio cocked his head to the side. “Emiko-chan, ya just told Atsumu-san and Osamu-san that ya only do things that’re related to volleyball and nothin’ more.”

“When you’re a manager, you’re kinda like a mom. I mean every team has a mom. At Karasuno, my best friend Mirae is the mom and I’m the super cool Uncle. The other manager, Yachi, is the nervous aunt. But since Inarizaki has no mom yet, it means that the team is run by a bunch of delinquents. That is where I come in. I have to step up and be the mom of the team, so no one kills each other, you know? Therefore, as your guys’ mom, I have to do these kinds of things for you. Whether it’s volleyball related or not.”

Yukio nodded his head. Riseki glanced between the two of them.

When they entered the library, they went straight to the main desk. Emiko leaned onto the table and looked around. The librarian was an older woman in a red tracksuit. She was sitting behind the computer at the desk and munching on a cracker.

“Yo.” She dropped the books with a loud thud. “We need to return these.”

“Emiko-chan, ya’ve gotta be quieter, we’re in a library.”

“Oh, right.” Her cheeks flushed. “Sorry.”

The librarian narrowed her eyes as she peeped around the computer screen.

“Returnin’ hours are between 12pm and 2pm. Ya can come back tomorrow.”

“Oh God her accent is worse than Osamu’s.” She pulled on Riseki’s sleeve. “Hey, what is she saying?”

“She, um- said we can’t return them right now. We gotta follow the returnin’ hours.”

“Really?” she frowned. “Then why are you here? Go home, seriously why are you still at school when it's 4:30pm?”

The librarian flicked a piece of cracker off her chest. “I’m just closin’ up now.”

Emiko threw half her body over the table that separated them, ignoring the bewildered gasp, as she glanced at the computer screen. “Well, would you look at that! You’re still logged into your computer. So why don’t you just take two minutes to return these for us?”

“I’m not takin’ em.”

“Ma’am,” Riseki interrupted when they all had fallen silent, “is there a reason why yer not takin’ em? Correct me if I’m wrong, but the system doesn’t operate on an hourly basis. S’long as yer logged into the computer, ya should be allowed to return these.”

“Nice Riseki!” she slapped his back. “You just hit her with logic. I prefer sarcasm, but your way works too.”

“Right, thanks,” he stuttered out.

The librarian scowled. Begrudgingly, she grabbed the stack of books, mumbling under her breath about youths and respect and adults. Her scanner beeped the barcode on the first book and she glared at her computer screen.

“These are overdue by five months.”

"Five?” Yukio choked. “But- Osamu-san said three months.”

“No, these are overdue by five months.” She grabbed the calculator from her drawer.

“Please no, not the calculator.”

“Why not the calculator?”

Yukio’s hands shook. “This is bad, this is very bad,” he murmured.

“We’re gonna hafta calculate some fees. Our school policy is that books needa be returned by the date marked on the card, else fees’ll be charged. So, before I return these, yer gonna hafta pay.”

Yukio pushed himself between the others and leaned across the desk. “How much would we hafta pay, Miss?”

“We charge 517 Yen per month fer each overdue book. That brings ya to 56,870 Yen.”

“What?” Emiko shrieked. “Do you seriously think I have that much money just sitting in my pockets? And even if I did, it would be for snacks. I’m not wasting it on overdue books that aren’t even mine. I’m only here to return them, not pay for them.”

“Oh yeah? Then whose books are these?”

Yukio intervened between the glares. “A friend’s. They’re busy and asked us to return them.”

“You’d be surprised how many times I’ve heard that excuse from students who’re trynna get away from payin’ fees.”

“But really, they’re not mine. I’m not even a student at Inarizaki. I don’t even have a student card.”

“Yer wearin’ Inarizaki uniform which means yer a student who has overdue books.”

“Are you even listening to me? I said they’re not mine. Just ignore the policy and return them.”

“If ya don’t have the money and wish to continue to lie to my face then I’ll hafta get the principal, vice-principal, your sensei, and parents involved.”

“Oh no, she’s bringin’ in the parents. Emiko-chan, yer gonna get grounded.”

Riseki’s eyes widened. “Woah, woah, woah,” he stammered, “I’m sure we can settle this without gettin’ the parents involved.”

Emiko scoffed. She pushed up her sleeves and growled.

“Hold it right there Miss. Red tracksuit. You just called me a liar. Well, you know what? I am not a liar. I am a truthful person, the most honest being to exist. You want to get the Demon Queen involved in this situation? Fine then. Do it, but just so you know I’m getting my Uncle Keishin, Mr. Watanabe, Mirae Ando, and the Protect the Managers Squad involved. Yeah, that’s right. How do you like me now?”

She made a boom like gesture with her hands.

“Yer a lunatic,” the librarian spat back. “I’ve half a mind to force ya to volunteer here fer the next two years, two hours every day. See if you like the terrible wifi, no phone service, and humming coming from the furnace room every three minutes.”

Emiko blinked. The thought of having to stay at Inarizaki for two more years and experiencing the hateful words and harsh actions of the team (mostly the Miya’s) horrified her. Determined to escape, she pushed the books onto the floor and sprinted away.

“I’m not staying for two years!”

For someone who despised cardio, Emiko ran as if her life depended on it (well maybe not her life, but her vending machine money was close enough). When she finally reached the gymnasium, she pushed past the doors and collapsed.

Riseki and Yukio nearly tripped over her.

“What’re ya chasin’ Suzuki fer?” Ginjima scowled. He shoved himself off the wall and stalked towards them. “Did the twins put ya up to this? I thought ya were better than that.”

“What? We’re not chasin’ her.”

Emiko flipped herself over, draping an arm over her eyes. “Damn, that lady,” she wheezed. “Whatever. The damage is done. You guys should start practice now.”

After saying hello to the Coach and assuring him everything was fine, she sat back and noticed that Suna was lying on the ground on the far side. He was pretending to do his stretches.

He glanced up when she stopped beside him. “Why are you bothering me?”

“You should’ve warned me that Inarizaki houses a grinch.”

“What?”

“I just came from the library with Riseki and–”

“Riseki?” he sat up. “That’s sus.”

“How is that sus?”

Suna pulled out his phone and tapped the google icon. “What’s your zodiac sign?”

“Sagittarius, why?”

“Okay, we can work with that. Pisces and Sag... easy-going and indecisive. The divorce rate is 37%. Mutual in their love for animals and altruistic acts. ” He typed quickly. “Are you a morning or night person?”

“Neither really. I don’t sleep, but I also hate waking up early.”

Suna blinked. “Then what are you?”

“I don’t know. My Uncle Keishin calls me a raccoon, but my best friend calls me a gremlin and a dictator. She can’t decide what title suits me better so she switches between the two. Wait, what does that have to do with this? I’m trying to complain to you about something.”

He frowned. Pocketing his phone, Suna staggered to his feet and began to walk away at a terrifyingly fast pace.

Yukio and Riseki watched the two from afar.

“She’s kinda crazy,” the first year laughed.

“Yeah, but it’s endearing, dontcha think?”

“Huh? What do ya mean?”

He scratched the back of his head. “It’s like a cute crazy.” Heat crept up his neck. “S’adorable.”

“Oh?” Yukio cocked his head to the side. In his eyes, Emiko was a pretty girl with captivating eyes. Other than that though, he wouldn’t classify her as adorable or cute. When he looked at his upperclassman, he noticed that Riseki was smiling. His eyes were frozen on Emiko who was stomping her foot at Suna.

His eyes widened when he put it together. “Oh… oh, I see.”

They chose Tuesday night to meet via facetime to go over the final details for a group project. At 8:02pm, Tadashi’s face popped up on the screen.

“Hi,” he grinned, his freckled face highlighted by the lamp at his study desk.

Mirae waved her fingers. “Hey. How are you?”

“Struggling with the English translations of the active past participle- or whatever this is. I can’t wait for this presentation to be done and over with. Then we are bound for nationals, final exams, and school break.”

“The third years graduate too,” Tsukishima’s deep voice called lazily.

“Rough practice?” Mirae teased.

He was lying on his stomach on the bed, eyelids dropping and the tips of his ears still red.

“What?” he narrowed his eyes.

“What do you mean what?”

“Why are you playing coy?”

“Who says I’m playing coy? Maybe I’m being straightforward?”

“When are you ever straightforward?”

“Is this because of the cat café? I did apologize, didn’t I?”

Tadashi rolled his eyes and cut into their banter. “Leave it to you two to answer questions with more questions.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” they snapped in unison.

He shook his head. “I can’t hear you guys. I think the wifi is lagging. You’re breaking up. Oops, I can’t see either of you. Guess I’ll have to email my part of the project and you two can put it together.”

“Tadashi,” Tsukishima started, “what-”

“Bye!”

His screen disappeared. Now that it was only the two of them on facetime, Tsukishima’s screen was enlarged and the situation shifted from a pair of classmates discussing their group project to a boy and a girl who went on a date and were now alone.

“What?” he frowned until an idea crossed his mind and a smirk overtook his features. “Practice wasn’t that rough today. Are you worried about me?”

“I’m sorry, did I give the impression that I was worried about you?” she rolled her eyes, busying herself with the loose papers.

“Are you saying that you’re not worried about me? Hm, and to think that I could rely on you as my manager even if you're at a different school. Whatever.”

“Wait, no, you can rely on me,” she scrambled, eyes widening. “What’s wrong? Maybe Yachi can help?”

“No this isn’t something I want to tell her.”

“What is it? What’s-” she paused, leaning closer to the screen, “you’re teasing me again, aren’t you?”

The corners of his lips lifted. “What makes you think that?”

“I missed this,” she confessed knowing full well that her face was heating up. As the words echoed through though, Tsukishima’s neck matched the colour of the tips of his ears.

“Did you now?”

“If you knew what was happening to me here, you’d understand my suffering.”

“Oh, you’re suffering.” He flopped on his back and raised his phone.

“Yes, I am suffering, thank you very much. It’s the Captain.”

“Isn’t he a top three wing spiker? With that title, he’s bound to be a little egotistical.”

“But that’s the thing, he doesn’t think he’s all high and mighty. It’s just that- he’s quiet and hard to read and I’m almost a hundred percent certain that he has a grudge against me because of my sister.”

“Kiyoomi Sakusa knows your sister,” he paused, “both are top wing spikers, my bad. So what, they don’t get along?”

“Sakusa and her had a spat last year at nationals. And to answer your question, no one gets along with my sister. Still, I find it immature of him to be so on guard around me when I haven’t done anything to provoke that type of reaction. You don’t understand, Tsukishima, whoever I talk to or wherever I go, he’s right there glowering at me. His friends say it’s part of his personality and that I shouldn’t take it personally but I can't help it. It’s infuriating.”

“The Protect the Managers hooligans will be glad to know that a top wing spiker hasn’t wooed you off your feet.”

She narrowed her eyes. “I’m sorry, wooed me off my feet?”

“I guess their hunch was right. You’re only into middle blockers. For the most part, they don’t have anything to worry about.”

“I am not,” she froze.

The last three boys she showed interest in happened to be, by coincidence or not, tall boys who were middle blockers on volleyball teams.

Yutaro Kindaichi. Kei Tsukishima. Daku Adachi.

They had different personalities and differed physically as well, but there was enough in common for her to swallow down her words and contemplate this surprising pattern.

“Mirae?”

“Still here,” she mumbled, blinking and willing herself back from the daze of drawing comparisons between the three. “Where are we in the group project again? Our presentation date is just before nationals, right?”

“Yeah,” he confirmed. “Hey, are you okay?”

“I’m fine. We should start on the project though. If we can finish it completely then we can run through it a few times when I get back and we’ll be prepared to show it to Sensei.”

“Right. Okay. Tadashi just emailed me his part.”

For the next bit, they worked through the project, deciding on how to present it and how the layout would look.

“I’m glad that’s over with. It was stressful.”

“You don’t have to stress about it. You have reliable partners, so there’s nothing to worry about.”

Mirae grinned into the camera as she stretched her legs. “Are you calling yourself reliable?”

“Maybe. Why, do you think there was a time that I wasn’t?”

“Did I say that?”

“Are you implying it?”

“Stop teasing me.”

Tsukishima grinned as he shook his head. When he took off his glasses to rub at his eyes, she rested her chin on the palm of her hand and whispered.

“Are you getting enough sleep?”

“Yeah, it’s just that the phone screen is rough.”

“You should rest then.”

“Are you trying to get rid of me?”

“Did I say that?”

“You’re implying it.”

“Why does every conversation with you go in circles?” she scowled playfully.

He opened his mouth to retort but a notification banner appeared on his screen. He mouthed as he read the message and then swiped the banner away.

“Speaking of conversations,” he cleared his throat, “when was the last time you spoke to your friends from Aoba Johsai?”

“Why do you ask?”

“Someone is under the assumption that you’re avoiding them.”

“Who?”

“Kindaichi.”

Mirae froze. The silence spoke volumes and she felt her heart race in her chest. Quickly she collected herself.

“I’m not avoiding him,” she lied and to ensure his suspicions would disappear, she added, “Yachi, Emiko, and I have been really busy with preparations ever since our team won. Not to mention that I’m in Tokyo because of the Convention. I went from talking to Kindaichi every day to rarely because it’s been getting busier. Not to mention our exams are coming up.”

“You should probably explain that to him. You know, instead of ignoring his texts.”

Mirae winced. “He knows I’m not responding to his texts?”

“Well, you do have the _read_ option on.”

Her face paled. She reached for her phone and unlocked it. “Tsukki, how do I turn it off?”

“I’m not sure,” he replied sarcastically.

“No, you know. I know you know. And I know you know because Emiko taught you. Please Tsukki.”

He watched her fumble for a few seconds, listened to her ramble as she aimlessly tapped different icons. “I like seeing you fuss over things as simple as this.”

She looked up with a pout. “Please Tsukki?”

He sighed and shook his head. “Talk to him.”

“I will. Soon.” Abandoning her phone on the table, she began to tidy the desk she was working at. It was just after 11pm and both had morning practice the next day. “You should go to bed. You need proper rest. Oh, and stay hydrated.”

“Yes, Miss Manager Mirae.”

A blush coloured her cheeks. She spun around and pointed a finger at his smirking face on the laptop screen. “Don’t call me that.”

“Why not? Yaotome does it all the time.”

“That’s because I’m older than him. He does it out of respect.”

“Uh-huh,” he drawled, “and what’s the reason you call me Tsukki?”

“Did you want me to call you something else?”

Then, for the first time in a while, he gave an honest answer.

“Kei would be nice.”

There was no teasing to his voice. There was no question attached to provoke a reaction. 

“Okay.” It was a miracle she didn’t stutter.

“Okay?”

“Yup. Good night, Kei.”

Abruptly she ended the call. Mirae jumped on her bed, burying her face into the pillow.

Her chest tightened but it felt like a dozen butterflies were swarming in her stomach. She bit her lip as she flipped onto her back. The plush owl rolled into her side.

This was not what she expected of their relationship, not what she expected that it would lead to. He was blunt with his words but for some reason she found his honesty to be intriguing. Of course, there were times when she wished he would be more considerate of others’ feelings, especially his friends, but Tsukishima always said the truth of what people needed to hear the most.

And for someone whose default emotions were set to annoyed and reserved, he was making an effort for their relationship.

Mirae had just finished setting her alarm for tomorrow morning when two sharp knocks sounded at her door. It was closer to half-past eleven and judging by the silence, most of the students had gone to bed.

Himari had gone out with a friend, but she had a key to their room.

She approached the door just as another set of sharp knocks sounded.

“I know you’re awake,” a gruff voice murmured.

She unlocked the door and poked her head through the small opening.

Standing before her in a pair of polka-dot-red pyjamas, was Kiyoomi Sakusa. If it were not for his furrowed brows over glaring eyes and the scowl on his lips, she would have laughed.

“Hi.”

“Do you know what time it is?” he snapped.

“11:24. Why?”

“You should be asleep. The campus closed at 10pm.”

“Shouldn’t you be asleep too?”

“I’m glad you picked up on that, but as the floor rep. I have to make sure you follow the rules. Lights off, in bed, sleep.”

She stared back with wide eyes. Any retort she conjured up was too rude and would make her out to be a villain. Before the bitter words left her mouth, the sound of feet shuffling towards them came from down the hallway.

A silent _‘oh god no’_ left Himari’s mouth. Her cheeks flushed pink.

Komori froze mid-step. His eyes twitched.

“And where the hell have you two been?” Sakusa glowered. He turned to face them, and where the light hit his body made his shadow trap them where they stood.

“Night class,” she stuttered.

Komori nodded eagerly. “Yep. She was alone so I offered to walk her back to her room.”

“If you’re going to lie at least make it believable. Night classes don’t run on the weekdays.”

Very much visibly, they inch away from each other.

“She probably asked the Sensei for extra help. Maybe they were at the library.” Mirae gestured with her hand towards their room, hinting that the sooner Himari came inside the faster she could close the door.

“Of course you would reject the rules. If your roommate, your partner for the duration of this stay rebels why shouldn’t you?” he scoffed. Purse disgust dripped from his voice as he posed the rhetorical question.

Mirae felt heat creep up her neck.

“Dude, she’s a guest,” Komori sputtered, rounding on his cousin.

“Then she should be a better guest.”

“Kiyoomi!”

“It’s fine,” she quickly intervened. Her heart hammered in her chest, it's pounding ringing in her ears. “It’s fine.”

“I have half a mind to take this to the Sensei.”

“We’ll apologize-”

“You’re up too!-”

“No need to get the Sensei or anyone else involved-”

“If you get us in trouble, I’ll drag you down with us!-”

“She is in no way threatening you-”

“I’ll deck him if it comes to it.”

He stared at Himari with a hardened expression on his face. His eyes had narrowed into slits and suddenly the phrase _if looks could kill_ made so much more sense. Just within arm’s reach, enough room for her to make well on her threat, Himari stood with her arms crossed over her chest. Her head was cocked to the side in a show of defiance.

Mirae resisted the urge to commend her.

The situation at hand was serious. It seemed that the number one wing spiker in high school boys’ volleyball was a stickler for rules. He was also not afraid of confrontation, despite the threat of a physical altercation.

This fact made her stomach churn.

“Alright- Now you’re just being ridiculous.” Komori stepped between them and placed his hands firmly on Sakusa’s shoulders. “We’re going to bed. Everyone has morning practice tomorrow, so let’s get dressed in our pyjamas, brush our teeth, and slip under the covers.”

He smiled over his shoulder, mouthing a thank you when he noticed Mirae tugging on Himari’s sleeve.

“That bastard gets on my nerves,” Himari growled.

Mirae locked their door. She breathed a laugh, settling on the bed and clutching the stuffed owl into her chest. “I feel bad for Komori.”

“Motoya- er, Komori can deal with him just fine.” She waved her hand, rummaging through the contents at her study desk. She retrieved a bottle of face wash and turned to the closet. “Oh, that’s cute!”

Mirae glanced down at the plushie in her arms and smiled. “Yeah.”

“You won him at an arcade, right?” Before she had a chance to answer, Himari grinned. “No, someone won him at an arcade for you.”

“It’s not like that.”

“Oh, it's definitely like that.” She abandoned the towel and face wash and instead chose to plop herself on the bed beside Mirae. “Tell me about them.”

“He’s just a friend, I promise. We met at a training camp.”

“So, it’s a he and he is a volleyball player.” She inched closer, a smirk settling on her lips. “Name and school. Picture if you have one.”

“Bokuto-”

“Bokuto Kotarou? From Fukurodani?”

“Yes-”

“No wonder you aren’t fazed by Sakusa. His terrible personality aside, the rest of us were wondering if you just didn’t swing that way.”

She felt her cheeks blush. “What?”

“I mean I haven’t met him, but I’ve seen him before. All that strength training really pays off,” she winked, “if you know what I mean.”

“He’s a friend.”

“A friend who won you a plushie twice your size. How many tickets was it worth? How long did the two of you stay there just to win it?”

“I was stressed and he was just trying to be helpful.”

“So, he’s hot and considerate. Yep, it is a no brainer.”

“I’m seeing someone else,” she blurted. Somehow, her face felt warmer. “He’s a mutual friend of ours. Nothing like Bokuto.”

“Okay,” she said slowly, “what’s this mystery guy like?”

“He’s really honest, too honest sometimes. He does it to rile people up and prove that he’s right. But he is a great listener, even if he doesn’t show much of his emotions, and he knows how to joke and tease. Though, most times he can be smug and rude about it.”

“Hold up,” Himari shook her head, “I’m going to cut you off right there. Why in the world are you with this dude when Bokuto literally exists?”

“I’m sorry?”

“This dude sounds an awful lot like the type of guy you would want to avoid. Like Sakusa. Please avoid Sakusa.”

“I never planned to-”

“Shoot it’s almost midnight!” Himari jumped up. She retrieved her towel and face wash, rounding towards the bathroom. “I’m glad we can talk like this, Mirae.”

“Me too,” she answered unsurely.

The bathroom door closed and suddenly, it was silent again.

Mirae glanced down at her phone and frowned. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More content for TsukkixMirae shippers. What do you guys think of their relationship? They're not together yet, but could all this talking potentially lead somewhere?
> 
> Things might be looking a little better for Emiko now that she has Yukio and Riseki but don't get too excited, the Miyas and Suna have a lot more planned for her. Hint: they may need a trip to the hospital.
> 
> Sakusa is a funny guy. We can totally picture him wearing those pyjamas, enforcing the curfew. Everyone better be in bed by 10pm or else...
> 
> Isn't it funny how Himari was ready to fight this dude? She's the captain of her team for a reason. One thing is for sure, if the Protect the Managers Squad isn't present, she is someone you definitely want on your side. 
> 
> Also! We created a trailer for LU+TR, it's posted on Tik Tok under bokutoxbeam. If you haven't already seen it and wish to, please do! We are very happy with the outcome of it and who knows, maybe we'll make more trailers for different scenes! 😉
> 
> That's it for now! See you next week 😊


	12. The Day Can Be Best Described as Toilet Water

**Day 3**

Emiko had never been so thankful for adult supervision.

Coach Kurosu went on and on about his dog and how it was the most important member of his family. Apparently, it had learned a new command and although he did not confirm or deny it, she knew the single fact that this old man was having family problems.

The other Coach was in his late twenties and apparently, he was not seeing anyone. Coach Oomi was a liar, Emiko deduced, because every two minutes he would check his phone and smile fondly before texting a reply.

They were adults and their personal lives were of no business but if they were going to sit with her during practice and unknowingly protect her from the savages that are Inarizaki's volleyball team, then she had no qualms.

She could listen.

"And he wags his tail." Coach Kurosu continued to swipe through more photos of his little yellow dog. "Every day he waits for me by the door. He's smart and appreciative and I don't know what I'd do without him."

She nodded absent-mindedly. The stories of the yellow dog were entertaining but Coach Oomi's love life was more interesting. Thinking about it now, she decided it was time for her Uncle Keishin to find someone too.

She would have to come up with a plan.

"Alrighty boys, that was a good practice!" Coach Oomi stood up and slipped his phone into his jacket. "Take a fifteen-minute break to stretch 'n rest. We'll have another practice game with our starters versus benchwarmers, and the first years can train diggin' with Suzuki."

Emiko's eyes widened. Adult supervision was leaving her in the gym with the savages. They were going to eat her alive as promised. She had to survive long enough to be the flower girl at her Uncle Keishin's wedding. She refused to die before that.

"Emiko-chan," she felt a tug on her sleeve. Yukio hesitated and then pointed to her neck. "What is a hickey?"

"Where did you hear about that?" she squeaked, clamping a hand over his mouth. 

"Well, our Captain said I should stay away from ya because yer a bad influence. Then our vice-Captain said ya got a hickey and it's contagious. So, I was curious."

"Okay, first, hickeys are not contagious," she snapped, dropping her voice even lower. "Second, this is a bruise from being choked by my first year back at Karasuno."

"He choked you?" Yukio gasped, concern bleeding into his eyes.

"It's fine. He was just a little upset that I was leaving for two weeks. My point is that this is neither contagious nor a hickey. You're safe."

His body visibly relaxed.

The boys sprawled on the ground, cracking their backs and making small talk. As dangerous as each of them were though, they practiced hard. No one dared to slack, except maybe Suna but he was a third-year, so no one called him out.

"Emiko-chan, I'll get the drinks to the first and second years. Can ya get the third years'?"

Her face paled. Hesitantly she nodded her head and reached for the water bottles.

Ginjima sat down with his legs stretched outward. He then reached for them, hiding his sweating face in his chest as he hissed at the burning ache of his muscles. Emiko lightly tapped the cold bottle against the back of his neck.

He looked up and his expression softened.

"Thanks, Suzuki."

"Don't mention it," she paused, "actually, do. Mention it on my assessment. That I was the best manager and everyone else is biased."

"Don't worry. The team'll come 'round."

She did not bother correcting him.

Suna was lying on his back, phone held above him. He hummed when she called his name. 

"Your drink."

He opened his mouth expectantly.

"Ya lazy piece'a crap," Ginjima kicked him. "Get up, she's not yer maid."

Emiko left the water bottle beside his head and moved on. Finally, there were two left.

Atsumu was called into the Coach's office so she did not need to worry about him. Osamu though was eyeing her from the side of the gym. She held her head up as she approached him. The expression on his face did not change.

She offered him the one marked with the green tape. Four seconds passed. Finally, he reached out and wrapped his fingers around the bottle. Emiko realized that she was holding her breath and exhaled slowly as she turned around.

Then, something fell. Drops of water pooled on the floor between them.

"Well," he scoffed, "I ain't drinkin' that."

"Please," she begged, "if you are going to talk to me, move your lips. I seriously can't tell what you're saying."

He raised his leg and Emiko's eyes widened. She scurried backwards.

"Did you just try and kick me?"

"Just gettin' rid of a pest."

"Stop mumbling and speak up."

"Fine." Osamu cleared his throat and then cupped his hands around his mouth. "Suzuki's annoyin'. I hate her. She won't leave me alone. Oi Rin, record her harrassin' me so we can send it with her review."

Emiko spun around. "What, no. I'm not harassing him. I'm just doing my job and handing out water bottles. Please don't record anything!"

"Osamu, take yer drink and stop fussin'."

She mentally thanked Ginjima.

Facing the Miya once again, she offered him a plastic water bottle. She was determined to walk away before he could start anything else but two steps later, she heard something hit the floor with a soft bump.

Osamu had a blank expression on his face. "Yer doin' it on purpose."

"Lies," she whispered, but again, remembered her promise to Ennoshita. She held out the last bottle to him.

His fingers wrapped around the bottle and he tugged.

"Suzuki," his voice held a warning, "let go."

"No, you're going to drop it on purpose."

His brows furrowed as he reached with both hands and tugged harder. Emiko nearly fell on top of him, but she used her entire weight to yank back.

"Let go."

"No- You're going to drop it again."

"What are ya talkin' about?" he growled. "You dropped it."

"No, you did. And you're going to do it again."

"Am I?"

"Yes!"

His lips curled showing his teeth. This was a look of a devil in action. Emiko felt her heart stop.

"Wait, Osamu, what are you- no- stop, please-"

In the act of tug of war, he had managed to turn the bottle top to face her. He squeezed, spraying water at her face.

"Ha-ha! Yer wet."

"No thanks to you."

She shuddered, feeling it drip down her neck into her shirt. Did Atsumu already drink from it? Emiko flinched at the idea of water-mixed with Miya saliva on her skin. She needed a shower with boiling water but that was not possible for another two hours when she could get back to Suna's house. She cursed under her breath when she remembered making fun of Mirae for carrying sanitizer wipes. Now, she desperately needed one.

As Emiko used paper towels and sanitizer from the medical kit to clean her face and neck, Coach Kurosu came back and blew the whistle. He separated the team into two groups of seven so they could play a practice game; the starters versus the benchwarmers.

The four first years were her responsibility.

"Receiving practice," she clapped her hands. They were given the space on the other side of the gym, a few feet away from where the others were playing. "First off, what positions do you four play?"

Yukio raised his hand timidly. "I haven't trained yet so I'm not sure where Coach'll put me."

The others were quiet at first, glancing between each other and shuffling from one foot onto the other.

Finally, one of them stepped forward. "I'm a wing spiker," he stated.

"Middle blocker."

"Libero."

Emiko could work with this.

So, she set them to work. She had them paired off so one could spike and the other could receive and send it back high in the air. After twelve, they switched. After another twelve, she asked them to receive with one arm and so on.

For some reason or another, while the first years were busy, Emiko glanced over to where the others were playing. She caught Atsumu's eye.

He tilted his chin back, exposing his neck. Then, he made a cut-throat gesture with his thumb. She felt the colour drain from her face.

"Suzuki-chan," a voice stuttered from behind her.

She whipped her head around and squeaked. "You guys saw that, right? You saw him threaten me, right?"

In unison, the four of them cocked their heads to the side. If she weren't so terrified for her life, Emiko would have swooned.

"Um, we're done the receivin' practice."

"Right, receiving practice." She turned around a couple of times and then grabbed the volleyball from the ground. "Try bumping it lower so your partner has to receive with their foot or leg. You've still got to receive it high enough to keep a rally going to 12 points."

The look on their faces suggested that they thought it was an odd request for training, but they complied, nonetheless. Within a few seconds, they were smiling and laughing.

Emiko thought back to her own first years.

Shoji and Takita played as though they hated each other but everyone knew it was an act. If one of them had to skip practice, the other was less motivated. If one of them was taking a break, the other would join them.

They fought, but each time that they were berated and forced to apologize, they turned away from each other with smirks and a fond look in their eyes.

Even Yaotome was beginning to join in on their teasing pranks.

"Emiko-chan," Yukio called, "I heard from Suna senpai that ya needed to make two friends. So I thought I could introduce ya ta some of my friends! They don't play volleyball though."

"Oh?"

"Ya, they're in the drama club. I think you'll really get along with 'em!"

She shuddered at the idea. "I think I'll be okay."

"Oi." Someone leaned and rested their arm on her shoulder. "What'cha goin' off about?"

Atsumu shifted his focus to the first years and eyed them. By the looks of it, he was either going to press his elbow into her neck in one swift movement or he was ready to attack the others.

"Leave them alone," Emiko gasped. "They are innocent. They have done nothing. If you're going to blame anyone, it's me."

"Oh, course I blame ya," he grinned. His eyes focused on the volleyball in his left hand. "I've been thinkin' how to get rid of ya. Can't make it too obvious, else Coach'll trace the evidence back to me. So, don't worry yer pretty little head, Suzuki. We're not all bark and no bite. Nah, we're planning, then-"

She felt her throat tighten.

Atsumu had popped the volleyball with one hand. It was shrinking, the air escaping through the hole. He shoved it in Emiko's chest and stepped away.

"Suzuki did it." He cocked his head to the side daring the bystanders to say otherwise. The first years watched the entire exchange with pale faces. The deflated volleyball was not just a symbol for Emiko's head. It was also a warning to them.

"But Captain, everyone just saw ya do it. Why're ya blamin' Emiko-chan?"

He grit his teeth, a glare making its way onto his face. "I said- Suzuki did it."

Yukio's eyes widened and he obediently nodded his head.

Atsumu cupped his hands around his mouth and called. "We're short a volleyball!"

Emiko was holding the evidence and for once she did not know how to get out of the situation.

The first years pointed their fingers and nodded. "Suzuki did it," they repeated. 

By some miracle, Coach Kurosu laughed it off and blamed the precipitation in the room. Apparently, it was normal for volleyballs to pop on their own. Emiko spent the rest of practice clinging to the Coach's side.

By seven p.m. practice was over but she was done with the day. The sweat-stained jerseys that smelled of sour milk would have to wait to be washed tomorrow morning. The one item on her list of chores though, was pumping the volleyballs with air. She hid in the back corner of the storage room and hurried to beat her record of most volleyballs pumped in under ten minutes.

After all, she had made a promise to her captain and she intended on keeping it.

"Oi," a voice called. The doors slammed open and she froze.

A pair of footsteps shuffled in. Emiko pressed her back against the wall and instinctively raised her fists.

Atsumu snickered. The look in Osamu's eyes did not change.

"Yer a foot shorter than the both of us, Suzuki."

"I won't go down without a fight."

"Relax, relax." Atsumu placed a hand on his brother's shoulder. "We ain't in a hurry. 'Member, she's here for another ten days. Plenty'a time to make our point."

"But you've made your point," Emiko begged, "I know you want to eat me alive, you freaking cannibals. I know you want to tear Karasuno's wings off like creepy children. I know you're going to accuse me on my assessment, and I know my Captain is going to be disappointed. I know, okay, I know- So I'm sorry for existing."

Osamu blinked. Then, he turned to his twin. "Hey, 'Tsumu?"

"Yeah, 'Samu?"

"What's that thing Kita-san said about the messenger sendin' the message?"

"Oh. Somethin' like _killing the messenger sends the most effective message._ "

Her throat tightened. She felt lightheaded. Just as she prepared to run at them head-on, the doors opened and Ginjima stepped in.

"Twins," he snapped, "leave her alone."

Osamu did not bother turning around. "We ain't doin' nothin."

"That's a double negative!" Emiko shrieked.

Ginjima scowled as he yanked on the back of their shirts. "I'll text Kita-san and make him yell at ya both. I will."

"Kita-san?"

This time, Emiko ran. She dodged their bodies and ducked under their arms. She ran outside the storage room and out of the gymnasium. Kita-san told the twins about killing the messenger so she deduced that he was the boss, the big brains of this whole make-Emiko's-life-miserable operation.

She did not know where she was running to, but the bathroom seemed like a safe option. No boy in their right mind would venture in. She skidded to a stop and pushed open the door.

A group of girls were standing there. Their eyes locked onto her. Emiko groaned.

"I just can't catch a break, can I?"

"Karasuno's manager," Vanji said. She plastered a smile on her face and tugged on the other girls' sleeves. "She's the one staying with Rintaro. They even walk to and from school together."

"Yes, because we go to volleyball practice together," Emiko said like it was the most obvious answer in the world.

"Look we're going to say this to ya once so ya better listen."

One of the girls walked up and grabbed Emiko by the collar of her shirt. She yanked her forward and into the claws of another. The second girl pushed her back by her shoulders as someone kicked her behind her knees.

Emiko landed on the floors with a hard thud.

They had circled around her like vultures. Their beady eyes watched the expression on her face.

Vanji grabbed her hair in a fist and pushed her head back. Emiko hissed.

"Listen here ya attention seekin' tool," she spat, "yer here fer two weeks at best. Keep yer head down, speak only when spoken to, and don't even think about makin' a move on our boys."

"Why are you taking your anger out on my hair? Seriously, what do you have? Claws for nails? Let me go- slowly, I don't want to be bald."

"She's a funny one," one of the girls snickered and kicked at her. "Lose the humour, brat. We're bein' serious here."

Vanji pushed Emiko's head back as she released her grip. She told one of the others to retrieve something.

Kadira yanked at the collar of her shirt and pulled her up.

"Perfect," Vanji nodded. A book was passed to her and she flipped it open, shoving it in Emiko's face as she turned the pages. "See this? It's the work of those of us most dedicated. Our hard work fer over a year now."

Emiko bit her lip and repeated like a mantra _do not laugh, do not laugh, do not laugh_.

It was a scrapbook of sorts plastered with pictures of the unsuspecting volleyball team.

In one photo, Ginjima had lifted his shirt to wipe the sweat off his face so the photographer zoomed in on his sweaty chest. In another, Osamu had lunged for a receive and the camera angled to take a picture of his bottom. There were plenty of close-ups of Atsumu's concentrated face where his tongue poked through his lips.

The girls had added their own commentary to these pictures with red and pink gel pens. The comments were so cringey that she felt second-hand embarrassment. Apparently, Suna's back muscles were something to drool over. Whoever wrote that had also circled the bottom of the page where there was a drool stain as proof.

"We've called dibs," Vanji explained as she shut the book. Kadiri held it like it was sacred as she went into a toilet stall, climbed on the toilet seat and put the notebook back into the ceiling tile.

Emiko blinked. "I don't want any of them."

"Yer a liar," Vanji snapped back. "Suna walks ya everywhere. Osamu saves ya a seat in class. Ginjima's always talkin' to ya in the cafeteria, and even Atsumu looks at ya. Whether yer doin' it on purpose or not makes no difference. They're ours so ya gotta back off or else."

"Stop threatening me." Emiko clenched her hands into fists. She could feel blood rushing to her head.

"Stop being such a tramp."

"Skank."

"Freakin' tool."

As a final slap to the face, Vanji spat at Emiko's feet. It would have been an epic scene if the wad of spit actually landed on the ground. Instead, it dripped down her chin and hung there. The girl wiped it with the back of her hand, scoffed, and led her group out of the bathroom.

Emiko stood there for a while.

She clenched and unclenched her fists. Her knees were shaking but she propped her body up against the sink. A voice in her head was urging her to chase after those girls and tackle the blonde. She could take her on and punch her at least four times before the rest of them pulled her off. It would be enough to satiate her blood lust.

 _You made a promise,_ another voice reasoned.

She dug into her pocket and grabbed her phone. She scrolled through her contacts and tapped on Mirae's face. The line rang. After the fourth ring, she was sent to voicemail. Emiko tried again but this time, the automated teleprompter said that this caller is not taking calls.

She screamed into her hands. In a frenzy, she decided to call everyone on Karasuno's team. Either their phones were turned off or her call was sent to voicemail. Even Takita was ignoring her and she knew that he always had his phone in a secret pocket in his shorts during practice.

This was no coincidence. The universe was being manipulated by the Demon Queen known as her mother in a ploy to ruin her life.

Desperately, she clicked on Kunimi's contact name.

The call ended with one ring. Emiko's brows furrowed as she tried again. He picked up this time and before she could put in a word, he ended the call.

Kunimi decided to spam her phone with a series of ridiculous text messages compromised of emojis and nothing else. 

A skull, the moon face, the laughing emoji, the golf club, and a lightning bolt.

The dancer, the angry red face, a dragon, the middle finger, a man in a kayak.

With a frustrated scream, she shook her phone in hopes it would shift the emojis into actual words.

No such luck.

Just as she decided to harass him in all caps, another text came in.

 **Mirae**  
Can't talk, in a meeting with the Coach

 **Emiko**  
I kinda need you right now

 **Mirae**  
Sorry   
Text me instead

 **Emiko**  
Fine  
I found awesome blackmail material  
But if I take it, the guilty ones will know  
They'll try to hide it  
What should I do?

 **Mirae**  
Is it drugs?

 **Emiko**  
I'm not telling you that  
If you wanted to know, you should have picked up my calls

 **Mirae**  
If its drugs I'm calling your Uncle  
And Mr. Watanabe

 **Emiko**  
CHILL  
It's not drugs

 **Mirae**  
Alright I believe you  
Hey, you remember when we caught Akira talking to Kageyama   
So we videotaped them to clear your name  
Even though it was all a misunderstanding?

 **Emiko**  
Yeah your point?

 **Mirae**  
Take video evidence   
Narrate everything like we did  
Leave the proof behind so they don't trace it back to you

 **Emiko**  
You are a genius!

 **Mirae**  
You're welcome  
I've gotta go now

She locked the bathroom door. Then, she walked into the stall she had seen the other girl go into and stepped onto the toilet seat. The ceiling was low enough that even she could move the tile. She reached up and felt the cover of the book.

Emiko jumped down. She grabbed a wad of toilet paper and ran to the sink. She turned on her phone, aimed the camera lens at the book and pressed record.

"This is a scrapbook that is kept in the girl's bathroom on the second floor. It's up there," she angled her phone to the ceiling, "behind the tiles."

Using a piece of toilet paper, Emiko began to flip through the book while recording the contents of each page.

"I was shown this by a girl in my class and her friends. Apparently, it's a group project where they take pictures and write about their undying love for the boys on the volleyball team. They've been working on it for a year now. They've written cringey comments that make me want to die of second-hand embarrassment. I apologize in advance for what you're about to see."

Emiko zoomed in on one of the comments, making sure to pause long enough where a girl had signed off with her name.

"Oh, I'm using toilet paper to flip through the pages because apparently they also drool on this. Yep, it's disgusting, but truth and justice shall prevail." To make her point, she paused on the area where the girl had drooled and circled with the pen.

"Well then, I'll just put this back before anyone thinks it's missing. This is Emiko Ukai signing off."

Content with the video proof, she slipped her phone into her pocket and shut the book. She left it where she found it and moved the tile into place.

"And they say I'm the desperate one," she scoffed and shook her head. Then, her foot slipped.

Emiko grabbed the walls but the damage was done. She groaned as the toilet water seeped into her shoe, soaked her sock, and wet her toes.

"I need to get back to Rintaro's house. Maybe I can chop off my foot before his mom comes back." She hopped awkwardly as she left the bathroom. As she rounded the corner, Suna called her name from behind.

"What's wrong with you?" he gestured to her leg with a nod. "Get hurt?"

"Not exactly. This has just been a terrible day. See, I was cornered by these gremlin looking creatures. Now, I'm ready to self-mutilate myself."

He blinked in slow motion. "Right. Well, my parents aren't coming home till much later. Want to order out?"

She pursed her lips at the numb feeling creeping up her leg.

"Can we get dumplings?"

"Sure."

Just like before, he slouched as he walked at a steady pace. He was scrolling on his phone, ignoring her awkward shuffle as they began to walk out of the school. Suna had his bag slung over his shoulder and he was holding Emiko's bag too.

She appreciated the gesture, but the action made her wonder how Mirae was faring at Itachiyama.

"They probably crowned her Queen and gave her a golden throne."

"Did you say something, Suzuki?"

"Nope," she answered. "Just hoping we can get spring rolls too."


	13. The Stalker at Itachiyama High

**Day 3**

The six main buildings of Itachiyama Institute were connected by underground tunnels so students could escape rain and cold weather. Whoever designed them, however, decided that it would be absolutely necessary to make the maps unreadable.

Her fingers shook as she traced the lines from the _you are here_ point to the closest exit. She swallowed her anxieties and ran but where there should have been a door was a slab of brick wall.

The footsteps behind her grew closer.

A growl like noise escaped her mouth as she pushed her legs to sprint. It was a risky move because the narrow corridors were barely lit. Her phone had no bars of service and because she wanted to avoid the overly friendly students at Itachiyama, she did not tell anyone where she was.

As she rounded another corner, she was enveloped in complete darkness.

The footsteps quickened.

She pressed her back to the wall and used it as a guide to put as much distance between herself and the stalker. Of course, she could take them on. Mirae could throw a mean punch and make it count as a knockout. Still, she was worried because there was a possibility that there was more than one person. If she were outnumbered, it would end badly.

The feeling of plastered wall changed when her fingers grazed the cold metal knob of a door. Her eyes widened and she pushed it open. She slammed it shut and fumbled with the lock. Once it was done, she pressed her back to the door and sighed.

“Mirae?”

She glanced up and saw Himari coming down the steps towards her.

“What are you doing here?” she asked in a shaking voice.

Himari jumped down the last few steps. She answered, “The boys mentioned that you didn’t make it to practice. I asked around and someone saw you at the library. I figured you would use the tunnels to get back to the gym so I came to find you myself. It’s not safe to travel down here alone.”

She wiped at her forehead. Her hand was cold, and her skin was sticky and warm. “Yeah, I feel like I’ve been going in circles.”

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost. Are you okay?”

“Someone was following me,” she confessed, throwing a look over her shoulder. “I tried calling out to them, but they hid. When I started running away, they followed me. Honestly, I feel like they were luring me somewhere.”

Himari grabbed Mirae’s arm and pulled. With wide eyes, she pointed to the door. Someone was shaking the handle from the other side.

“That’s a stalker.” Himari gasped, “some of the girls have talked about being followed when they use these tunnels to get to class or their clubs late at night. Most of us thought they were just making it up.”

“Do you have your phone? We need to call the police. A detective. Someone in the military. Let’s call the emperor.”

The person behind the door tapped a provocative tune. The girls clung to each other and cried.

“I left my phone in the gym,” Himari shrieked. “What about yours?”

“No service. We have to notify the principal; we have to throw the school in a lockdown.”

“A stalker at Itachiyama. This is so surreal and terrifying. Oh my God, what if this is part of an organization? A gang of stalkers who prey on high school girls?”

“We need to get the police involved. Come on-”

“Wait, they could run away before we get help.” Her eyes widened. “There are two of us. I bet we could take them on.”

“Are you serious?” Mirae hissed, “that’s out of the question! They could be carrying a knife, there could be more than one of them!”

“If they had a knife, they would have used it to threaten you. No, we must confront them here and now. You open the door and I will throw the first punch. When he is stunned, you have to put him in a chokehold.”

“I guess you’re right,” Mirae agreed. She moved in position behind the door and gripped the handle. “While we have the element of surprise, right?”

Mouthing _one, two, three_ , she yanked the door and flinched as Himari drew her fist and slammed it against the unsuspecting stalker.

He yelped and fell back.

Mirae peaked over Himari’s shoulder. When the boy looked up, they screamed.

Himari was the first to catch her breath. She kicked him where he sat on the floor and cried, “Komori what the hell?”

“Why did you punch me?” he moaned. “Geez, what type of training do you girls even do? I think you broke my nose.”

“Why were you following Mirae down the halls?” she demanded.

Komori squinted his eyes. After a second, he stood up. His nose was swelling.

“She wasn’t at practice, so I came to find her.”

“Why didn’t you say something? I called out like ten times.”

“What?” he frowned. “I just came from the east corridor when I heard your voices. I wasn’t following you.”

“Liar,” Himari spat. Her face was burning red. “You were stalking Mirae. Trying to scare her for your own twisted pleasure. Tell me, who else is involved?”

“Are you listening to yourself?” he scoffed.

Himari grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and began to drag him up the stairs. He nearly tripped and Mirae braced herself in case he did fall, and she had to catch him.

Komori protested and despite Mirae asking to hear him out, Himari stomped all the way to the volleyball gymnasium. Once they were inside, she screamed Sakusa’s name and released her grip on Komori.

Few bystanders idled by the volleyball carts and turned to watch in humour and confusion.

Sakusa crossed the gymnasium stiffly. He glared between the three of them and sighed, “What?” 

“Ask this pervert!”

“Whoa, whoa, hold the accusations,” Komori scrambled to his feet. “I just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, okay?”

“You’re a liar,” she hissed. “Komori was stalking Mirae in the underground tunnels. He was scaring her, leading her somewhere secluded to do God knows what.”

Mirae’s throat had run dry. She placed a hand on Himari’s shoulder and tried to deescalate the situation. “In Komori’s defence, I never saw whoever it was that was following me.”

“Who else would be down there after school?”

“Um, the other dozens of students who have after school club activities?”

Sakusa turned around. Komori flinched. Mirae felt her chest tighten.

“If this is true, Motoya, I’m telling my aunt and she’ll castrate you.”

“Kiyoomi,” he squeaked, face burning red, “believe me, man, when I showed up she was already with Himari. I wasn’t stalking her.”

“Komori you’re a freak. Who else are you working with? How many other girls are you targeting?”

“That’s enough,” Sakusa said. He gestured to the others who were eavesdropping. “Motoya, get started on a hundred flying receives. You can also mop the entire gym after practice.”

“You’re abusing your power, Captain,” he spat. His expression softened when he caught Mirae’s stare. “I promise it wasn’t me.”

“I believe you.” And she did.

She had met a fair number of stalkers, admirers, and boys who could not keep their hands to themselves. The sick feeling that she experienced when they looked at her was not something she could forget easily.

“That’s it?” Himari seethed. She crossed her arms over her chest and frowned. “I’m taking this to the Sensei. He should get suspended for this.”

“Suspended for maybe following a girl down in the tunnels.” Sakusa shook his head. “We can take this to the Sensei when we know for certain who it is.”

“Do you have a plan?”

He glanced down at Mirae and paused. “You might not like this.”

In the end, Komori completed his penalty and spent the rest of practice glaring daggers into the back of Sakusa’s head. Sakusa replied by bringing in a bucket filled with soapy water and a mop.

“Absolutely not,” Mirae yanked the mop from his hand and then shooed them away. “He practiced hard and you made him do that ridiculous penalty for no reason other than your own evil satisfaction. Komori, you should go and rest. I’ll mop the gym.”

She would not take no for an answer and refused help. The team sent disapproving looks at their Captain as they left.

Mirae had finally finished an hour later. She emptied the murky water and left the bucket and mop in the storage room. She locked the doors and flicked off the lights before turning around to leave.

She nearly walked into Sakusa on her way out.

“Sorry,” she squeaked. “What are you doing here?”

“Himari and I have a plan. We need you to stand in the empty corridor for a while.”

She paused. “I’m bait, aren’t I?”

He shoved his hands into the pockets of his grey sweatpants and shuffled away. Just as he turned the corner, he glanced back and frowned. “You coming?”

Mirae slung her bag over her shoulder.

They walked towards the girls’ dormitory. At first, he tried to slow his steps to match hers, but the narrow hallways forced their arms to brush. The first time it happened, Mirae flinched. The second time it happened, Sakusa tried walking with his body angled. The third time it happened, both mentally agreed that he would walk in front.

As they rounded another corner, Himari pushed herself off the wall.

“We’ve spread the word that you’re going to study in this hallway because they haven’t put any students in these rooms.” Himari pointed to a table and chair pushed to the side. “With some luck, the perverted stalker known as Komori should show up-”

“It’s not Komori.”

“-and Sakusa here will kill him.”

“I’m not committing murder,” he rolled his eyes, “but yeah, he won’t be going anywhere.”

“Great. I’m a sitting duck.” Mirae shook her head. She moved to the table and even though this was a ploy, she decided to spend the time completing her homework. Sakusa and Himari camped in one of the empty dorm rooms, leaving the door ajar.

The only light came from a dimly flickering bulb ahead of the study space. Both ends of the corridor were dark holes.

By the end of the hour, she had completed all her work and was reading through the messages of a group chat. When the brightness on her phone increased automatically, she realized that someone had flickered the hallway lights off. That someone was now grabbing her by the shoulders.

She screamed and twisted her body in the chair. With a hard smack, she fell backwards but at least those cold hands were gone.

Sakusa and Himari were yelling from somewhere off the side. She heard feet shuffling, bodies colliding, someone landing a hard punch, a groan, and running.

Himari found the light switches and flickered them on. Then, she dropped in front of Mirae.

“What happened? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” her breath was shaky, “did you get him?”

Sakusa’s brows were furrowed as he trudged back to them. “They got away.”

“This is literally like something out of a horror movie.”

“Aren’t there cameras?” Mirae wondered out loud. “Couldn’t we take this to the principal?”

“Before coming here I talked to the principal. They think it’s a ghost story the girls have made up for fun.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“What’s ridiculous?” Komori asked. He was holding a bag of chips to his chest and he walked towards the three of them with a curious expression.

Sakusa and Himari took one look at the stretched sleeve of his black sweater and the swelling of his nose and tackled him.

“Komori you freak! So, it was you!”

“You ran away and circled back and now your acting all innocent?”

“You pervert! You stalking weirdo! Just wait until everyone finds out, the entire school will have your head!”

“I’m telling my aunt. She’s going to castrate you.”

“What are you two talking about?” he screamed, trying to break free from a chokehold. “I was getting a snack from the vending machines when I heard the commotion and came to check it out.”

“Wrong place, wrong time,” Himari mocked, “you’re such a freak!”

“Guys come on.” Mirae broke free from the shock and dropped to her knees. She tried to pry Sakusa’s arms away.

“Stay away from him,” Himari scowled, “He’s a maniac.”

“I didn’t do anything!”

“It wasn’t Komori, I trust him.”

“You’ve known him for two days,” Sakusa glared.

“It’s not him.” Her tone dropped and the three of them felt a shiver run down their spines. The look in her eyes hardened and instinctively they retreated. “Leave him alone.”

Mirae helped Komori back to his feet. Her fingers brushed against his throat as she checked for bruising. The area around his Adam apple was sensitive.

She stuffed her books into her bag and slung it across her shoulder. Then, she tugged his arm and led him towards the nurse’s office. She made sure to throw one last glare over her shoulder.

“You are terrifying.”

Her cheeks flushed red. “I’m sorry, I don’t usually have a temper. I promise.”

“It’s fine,” he grinned, “honestly, I think you’re the first person to stand up to Sakusa like that. It’s refreshing.”

“You two are cousins, right?”

“Yep.”

“Is there a reason for the mutual irritation?”

They reached the small office located near the side exit.

“Not really,” Komori said as he held the door open. “He’s an introverted guy but I hate seeing him brooding and alone.”

“He’s lucky to have you, even if he doesn’t know it.”

She dug into the cabinets. He watched curiously as she read through labels. Moments later, she gestured him forward.

“You really know what you're doing,” he teased.

She scowled playfully. A box of latex gloves sat on the table and she snapped a pair on dramatically. Then, she scooped ointment from a small container and gently massaged it into his neck.

“This will help with the swelling and bruising but you should definitely take it easy for a couple days. There’s not much I can do about your nose You’ll just have to use an ice pack.”

“It doesn’t bother me much now but at the time, yeah it hurt. Himari’s got a mean punch.”

“Well I mean she is a spiker.”

“I know,” his head lolled to the side, “isn’t she awesome?”

“Sounds to me like you’ve got a little crush,” she teased. With the ointment evenly spread across his skin, she tightened the lid on the bottle and discarded the gloves.

“I’ll walk you to your room,” he offered. Komori opened the door and then paused. “Oh, hi.”

The unfamiliar boy glanced behind him. “What are you two doing here?”

“What do you think we’re doing here? Wait,” Komori shook his head. “What are you doing here?”

“I cut my finger.”

Mirae stepped forward and held out a band-aid.

The boy blinked and took it from her. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome. Alright, let's get going now.”

“You’re Mirae Ando, right?” he interrupted, blocking the exit.

She blinked, sharing a curious look with Komori. “Yes?”

“Wow.”

A moment of silence passed.

“Okay? It’s getting late and we have early morning practice tomorrow. Um- have a good night.”

Komori stepped forward, forcing the boy away so they could leave the room. When he looked over his shoulder, the boy was staring at the bandage in his hands. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So guys, what do you think? Who has it worse right now? Who do you think will break first? 
> 
> Prepare yourself for next week when we go back to Karasuno and see just how they're doing. 
> 
> Bye for now!


	14. Karasuno's Braincell

It was day three at Karasuno without their official setter, without two of their first years, and most importantly, without their Comedic Queen and Devoted Goddess. The team was slowly but surely losing their minds and today seemed to be the breaking point.

They happened to stumble upon the situation accidentally.

Narita and Kinnoshita were in the storage room untangling the volleyball nets. The team had become so used to Mirae and Emiko setting up and cleaning after practice, that these past few days they stuffed the equipment without so much as a thought.

Takeda Sensei nearly passed out at the mess.

“Can you imagine how Daichi would have reacted if he saw this?”

Narita chuckled. “Let’s try not to think about that. I don’t want any nightmares.”

“Yeah, he was one strict captain,” Kinnoshita paused and yanked a knot-free, “that’s not to say Ennoshita isn’t.”

“I agree. It’s just that our team as it is now is ten times more troublesome than it was last year.”

“And we’re missing five of our team members,” he shook his head. “Ennoshita rules with an iron fist while being fair. Makes you wonder though, how would have Daichi led the team alongside Emiko and Mirae?”

“He wouldn’t.”

“No?”

“Well, you have to consider who else was here.” He deadpanned at the confused look on Kinnoshita’s face. “Sugawara and Asahi.”

“Oh,” he drawled. “Yea that makes a lot more sense now that I think about it.”

“Now I’m not one to talk ill about our Upperclassmen, but Asahi is a walking-talking embodiment of anxiety. If he messed up a training recommendation or if he forgot to hand in his nutritional log, which the team collectively always forgets to do, he would have a panic attack. It would get to the point where Mirae would walk into the gym and Asahi would hyperventilate.”

“How many days did it take Yachi to get used to them?”

“Three days?” Narita offered. “Even then, as anxious as Yachi gets, she’s fared way better than Asahi ever could. You know just how bad Mirae and Emiko’s screaming matches get. We can hear them from up in the clubroom. It takes five of us to restrain them.”

“Wow.” Kinnoshita paused, realization dawning on him. “Asahi would die, wouldn’t he?”

“Yep.”

“So what about Sugawara then?”

“He would feed Emiko.”

“Feed Emiko?” Kinnoshita repeated. “Isn’t it the other way around?”

“I meant that more in the figurative sense. He’d feed her ideas. Mould her into his minion then send her to the team and watch from the background as chaos ensues.”

“Wow. You’ve given this a lot of thought, haven’t you.”

A shudder ran down his spine. He swallowed visibly. “I’ve had nightmares about this. Sugawara and Emiko would be a bad mix. If someone looked at our team the wrong way, he would open the gates of hell and send out the hellhound known as Emiko. It’d be the puppeteer and the puppet. Daichi wouldn’t know who to control first. With the clashing of personalities, forget making it to nationals, Mirae wouldn’t stay on as a manager.”

“Now that would be a nightmare.” Kinnoshita pointed to the ends of the net, “Okay I think the knots are gone. Let’s pull it back.”

Both boys grabbed the ends and yanked. Narita put a heck of a lot more power in his tug, surprising Kinnoshita who lurched and fell into the rack of medical supplies.

A metal box fell over and crashed to the ground.

“What was that?” Ennoshita spun around, glaring at the entry of the storage room. “It was Emiko, wasn’t it. Emiko!” he roared, stalking towards the noise, “What did you do? Emiko, are you hurt?”

He paused at the scene. Narita was helping Kinnoshita back to his feet. Bandages, bottles of sanitizer, and tape sprawled by their feet.

“Um, Ennoshita? Emiko’s not here.”

He blinked. His facial muscles loosened. “Right. She is in Hyogo. I know that.”

He turned around, red-faced, and left. The two boys stared at each other as sly smirks pulled at their lips. Their captain was breaking, and they were curious to know what they could get away with by blaming it on their absent manager.

“Emiko?” Nishinoya called as he sat up. “I just heard Emiko’s name.”

Tanaka flopped on his stomach. He used the motion of a push-up to squat to his feet. “Emiko’s name is Emiko. Is she back? Has our comedic queen returned? Are we saved?”

“Shut-up, both of you, and get back to practice.” Ennoshita tossed a volleyball towards them.

Nishinoya dove in to receive. “What is the point of practice when our girls aren’t even here?”

“Nothing feels the same,” Tanaka groaned, “the nets aren’t set up as they should be. The volleyballs feel colder. The room isn’t bright enough. Face it, guys, we’re done for.”

“Imagine if a villain just showed up. Who’d defend us?”

“Exactly!” Tanaka cried, “Emiko would know just what to do. She’s seen almost every episode of My Hero Academia ten times; she’d know how to protect us.”

“Like Bakugo with the anger issues? She’d tame him like that Mad Dog spiker from Seijoh! Or that One for All thing? She’d make him cry; I would bet my life on that.”

“Bakugo isn’t a villain.”

“He was when he was bullying Midoriya.”

“Oh true.”

“Exactly! And speaking of bullies, Mirae would be the first to make him sit down and apologize and reflect on his way of life. With our precious managers, no villain would dare exploit us! Um, Tanaka, why are you looking like that?”

“I was just wondering, what would we do if a villain took them both and we could only save one?”

Noya gasped. “If a villain really wanted to hurt us, that’s what they’d do.”

“Right? Think about it, they both take care of us so well so how would we choose who to sacrifice and who to give up?”

“If we’re being realistic, we should give up Emiko.”

“Definitely.” Tanaka nodded his head. “The villain would send her right back within five minutes. That's how we win."

Noya grinned, "I love loopholes."

On the other side of the gym, Hinata thanked Yaotome for setting to him and then he ran up to Yachi. She was flipping through the to-do list that was left by her co-managers, frustration bleeding its way into her thoughts because it seemed impossible to do everything daily.

“Yachi!” Hinata grinned, pulling the clipboard from her hands. “So?”

“So?” she frowned.

His eyes grazed the papers. Then, he glanced up and asked, “I need the notes.”

“Notes? What notes?” she panicked.

“The notes on my technique. I’ve been practicing my footwork and mid-air form so my jumps don’t waver. I asked you to watch me practice, so, what criticism do you have for me?”

Yachi’s hands shook. She thought Hinata only wanted some attention, someone to smile and say good job. She did not expect him to want physical notes critiquing his technique and offering advice.

“Why didn’t you just fill in the worksheet Mirae made? She said she left a few of them behind.” To prove his point, he lifted the stack of papers on the clipboard and sure enough, written in bold letters at the top of a page, was Hinata’s Practice. There was a checklist of good, bad, and excellent on a variety of volleyball techniques.

“Who are you?” Tsukishima scoffed, a smile playing on his face as he walked towards them. “A professional athlete? A VIP?”

“No! Er- I mean yes!”

“You mean maybe?”

“No! I want to be a professional volleyball player.”

Tsukishima rolled his eyes. “Have you ever wondered why Mirae is going out of her way to help you practice? Why she’s making these checklists for you?”

“It’s because she’s a kind person who sees potential in me.”

He blinked and a cruel smile spread across his face. “No, it’s because she feels sorry for you.”

Hinata clenched his hands by his side. He glared, grinding his teeth together and growled, “You’re lying. She sees how hard I practice and how readily I accept criticism. She likes me because I’m a likeable person.”

“What are you saying? That I’m not a likeable person?”

“All I’m saying is that she smiles and talks to me the most and to you the least.”

Yachi felt the tension a second too late. Tsukishima reached out to smack him upside the head but Hinata spun around and dodged. Those words were provocative so unlike the numerous other times when he would click his tongue and walk away, he lunged.

Hinata sprinted, Tsukki hot on his tail.

“A fight?” Tanaka asked becoming high on alert.

“Mirae and Emiko used to fight like that.” Nishinoya sighed, a dream-like expression crossing his face as he reminisced. “I wonder what they’re doing right about now.”

“Probably missing us.”

“You don’t think they replaced us, do you?”

“What?” Tanaka shrieked. “No. No way. Our girls would never do that to us.”

“Is that Emiko getting chased?” Ennoshita growled as he stomped back into the gym. “Who’d you make angry now? Emiko, stop running and apologize! Emiko!”

Tadashi and Ukai stood off to the side, watching with wide eyes and worried expressions.

“Ennoshita must really be missing Emiko,” Coach said and shook his head, “I can’t even begin to imagine why. It’s been three days, but he is always looking around as if waiting for her to waltz back in and cause trouble.”

“I agree. If we accidentally drop something or raise our voices, he thinks it’s her.”

“I’m worried for his mental health,” Coach paused, “should we tell Takeda Sensei to take him to the counsellor?”

“I think he’ll be fine. If anything, this just proves how much he misses her.”

“Count me in to that bunch,” Ukai groaned.

“Everything okay Coach?”

“Nothing is okay. Ever since that twerp moved in with me, I’ve been constantly worried for her life. It’s gotten so bad to the point where I’ll be sitting in my room, smoking and relaxing, and I’ll hear the floorboards in her room creak. All throughout the house, her things are just lying around. Her hair elastics on the kitchen table, her coloured pens on the windowsills, her occult books in the living room. I don’t even know how they end up where they do.”

“That does seem odd.”

“I went into her bedroom the other day,” Ukai confessed, “she never lets me into her bedroom. Apparently, if I enter, my presence will break the protective seals against the Demon Queen. Oh, I should clarify, the Demon Queen is her mother and my sister Hina.”

“Everyone on the team knows who the Demon Queen is,” Tadashi chuckled, unable to control his expression. “What does your presence have to do with the protective seals though?”

“I’m the Demon Queen’s brother.”

“Oh. Makes sense.”

“Yeah. Even when I go to talk to her, she keeps the door shut and makes me stand with my back to the door. Whatever. The other day I walked right in and blew out the single candle she lit for the protective seal. I also organized her room because a simple instruction of clean your room is too much for her to comprehend. When she comes back, she’ll probably think a ghost went through and moved her stuff.”

“I didn’t know Emiko believed in the occult. Her ancestors’ power and spiritual guidance sure, but not ghosts and the occult.”

“She believes in a lot of things she shouldn’t, it’s one of the reasons she is the way she is. I’m just waiting to see when she begins blood sacrifices, that’s when I’ll send her to the Buddhist priests up in the mountains…”

Tadashi shuffled away. He watched the Coach glare at the floorboards and then sprinted once he was at a safe distance.

It was not just Ennoshita. Every one of the boys was acting in ways that proved just how much they missed their managers.

During strenuous workouts, tiring training, and stressful combination plays that just would not work, Emiko could be trusted to provide comedic relief as she sauntered around the court and gave out healthy snacks.

Most of them would laugh as she made a fool of herself. The others would roll their eyes, fond smiles tugging at their lips.

For the final act, she would find a way to provoke Mirae. Not that it took much planning, because it seemed that just by being nearby Emiko could draw a reaction.

An exaggerated fake cough or a sarcastic comment and Mirae would chase her out the gym with a string of colourful threats. Then she would turn back around and give the boys the attention they needed.

She would praise the first years for their hard work and grant them gold stickers on their training logs. She would actively spike, set, receive, and block with the second years. The deviant duo acted like they could improve just by listening to her. Tsukishima could feel his frustration leaving his body when she smiled at him. Tadashi respected her for the power she had over them.

It was not that Yachi was slacking; she showed up to practice half an hour early to set up most of the equipment, she helped clean and provided snacks as recommended.

The Karasuno Crows just had more chemistry with their equally unhinged patrons.

“Everyone has to be quiet right now!” Yaotome roared, stomping his foot for effect. He pointed a shaking finger at Yachi. “You are all making Miss. Manager Yachi stressed. This is unacceptable. Captain, Emiko is not here. She is in Hyogo. Stop calling her name like she teleports here just to cause a problem and then vanishes. Nishinoya, Tanaka, based on the number of times you have called out Mirae and Emiko’s names, I would not be surprised if they sneezed themselves into cardiac arrest. They cannot hear you. Tsukishima and Hinata, you have to stop fighting so much. Use that energy to practice instead. I am sick and tired of seeing this. And for what? Sure, two of our managers are gone but we still have Yachi here! She is trying her best, she is doing everything she can, and so you all need to act more grateful. It’s only been three days and this is what is happening to our team. I can’t even imagine what will happen by day ten or twelve.”

It was quiet, except for the sound of ‘Tome’s ragged breaths.

He closed his eyes and turned on his heels. “I apologize for bursting out like this, but someone has to do it!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> But like... Can you imagine the chaos when Kageyama, Shoji, and Takita return?
> 
> We promise the team appreciates Yachi. Sincerely. However, this story is focused on our OC's so Yachi's role is minimized. We plan on bringing more of her in, but to do that we'd have to take one manager away... choose which one :P
> 
> We hope everyone is doing well :) Remember to take care of yourselves!


	15. Potential As a Drama Club Addition

**Day 4**

Mirae could not sleep that night. She tossed and turned, replaying the conversation she had with her sister and father.

_Your mother was discharged from the hospital… I’ve talked to the lawyers… there is a good chance she will lose custody of you… You’ll come here and live with us… sisters united… Sisters Ando… volleyball again… you’ll be fine… don’t worry about mom… we can be a family…_

She sat up and rubbed her eyes. It was three in the morning. She would have to be up for practice in two and a half hours anyway. Mirae pushed the covers off her body and grabbed her gym clothes. She quickly changed and then left the room.

She wandered in the halls, stretching her legs and trying to shift her focus onto anything else. She pulled out her phone and logged into Instagram. She was scrolling through her feed when she noticed a message in her inbox.

 **Bokuto**  
Can’t sleep?

 **Mirae  
** No :( you?

 **Bokuto**  
I’m tired but I have to study for an exam.

 **Mirae  
** I wish you good luck!  
Make sure you get some rest

 **Bokuto**  
Thank you! I’m almost done. I want to ace it

 **Mirae  
** I’m sure you will

 **Bokuto**  
An-chan you really are the cutest thing alive!  
Any reason you can’t sleep?

 **Mirae  
** Just thinking

 **Bokuto**  
About…?

 **Mirae  
** There are some things happening at home right now

 **Bokuto**  
Will you be okay?

 **Mirae  
** I think so  
Mind if I ask you a question?

 **Bokuto**  
Of course not! I’ll help you in anyway I can An-Chan!

 **Mirae  
** How do you tell someone no?

 **Bokuto**  
Well  
I usually just say it outright  
But I make sure to tell them why  
It’s good to be honest especially in the long run

 **Mirae  
** What if the honesty ruins the relationship?

 **Bokuto**  
Depends on the relationship and what it means to you  
For me, I would never want to be lied to no matter what. So I expect my friends to always be honest

 **Mirae  
** I want to be honest but if I say the truth then I know they’ll leave me

 **Bokuto**  
An-chan it’s okay to lean on other people  
You have other friends who care for you  
If this relationship is as important to them as it is to you, then they’ll respect you for being honest and find a way to fix everything.

 **Mirae  
** It’s just  
I’m really scared

 **Bokuto**  
I’m going to ask a question

 **Mirae  
** That’s fine

 **Bokuto**  
Does this honesty thing have to do with Su-chan?

**Mirae  
** No

 **Bokuto**  
Then maybe you should talk to Su-chan!  
She’s your best friend and I know she cares about you  
I’m too far to come myself but she lives within walking distance  
Talk to her

 **Mirae  
** I think I will  
But she’s in Hyogo right now and I’m in Tokyo

 **Bokuto**  
What?!  
Since when?  
Why?  
Are you meeting up with Akaashi?

 **Mirae  
** We’re taking part in a Manager Convention for powerhouse volleyball teams  
I think this overthinking and anxiety is also because I’m in an unfamiliar space

 **Bokuto**  
I’m sorry to hear this :( Just remember, it’ll get better eventually. You’re surrounded by friends and people who love you. You just have to wait

 **Mirae  
** You’re right. Thanks :)

 **Bokuto**  
I’ll tell Akaashi to visit you

 **Mirae  
** You don’t have to bother him hahah  
Plus, having my stuffed Owl helps

 **Bokuto**  
You took him with you?!

 **Mirae  
** I like snuggling him when I sleep

 **Bokuto**  
I’m glad he’s taking care of you

 **Mirae  
** You should get some rest now.  
Let me know how your exam goes- though I know you will ace it!

 **Bokuto**  
I mean, I am the Ace after all  
Hahaha goodnight and sweet dreams!

“How long have you been here?”

Mirae looked up. Sakusa was staring down at her, a frown on his face. “Not long.”

“You shouldn’t sit here. It’s dirty.” He unlocked the gym doors and pushed them open. He glanced down and lightly tapped his foot against hers. “Come on.”

He held the door open and they walked into the gymnasium. The lights flickered on. Both worked quickly and quietly to set up two volleyball nets, but when Mirae paused in the storage room doorway with a cart of volleyballs and the air pump, Sakusa shuffled closer.

“What does a Manager even do?”

She glanced up from the pressure reading tool. “Anything the team needs, really.”

“Like what?”

“Well, setting up the equipment and cleaning afterwards, taking notes from games and practices for the whole team or individual players, scouting out competition, fundraising-”

“That doesn’t make sense. The coaches take their own notes. The school has funds set aside for all teams. We take care of our own equipment.” He paused and stood straighter. “Oh. Your job is basically to be an assistant.”

“Managers are not assistants.” She tried to keep the annoyance out of her voice. With her statement, confusion clouded his face again. She clenched her jaw. “We’re not assistants to the coach. We do not do errands and not just anyone can be a manager.”

“I’m not trying to offend you, but I still don’t see the reason why a team would need a manager.”

“There are plenty of reasons why a team would need a manager. Don’t you think-”

“If I’m being honest, the Japanese Sports’ Association should have dedicated that time and money to a more functional program.”

“Wow,” she scoffed. “I can’t believe how self-”

“And if a manager is as important as you say they are,” he reached for a volleyball and shrugged, “shouldn’t you be back in Miyagi with the Karasuno team?”

“Yes but-”

“Nationals is only a few weeks away. If a manager is so important, shouldn’t you be back with them?”

They turned around at the same time. He trudged to the backline, dropping the volleyball to the ground and then beginning his stretches. She walked to the bench on the other side of the gym.

The time on her phone read 5:57am. The Karasuno boys would be getting ready for practice too. She opened the _good morning_ message from Shoji and replied with a smiling emoji.

Yachi was keeping her updated but she still felt like she was missing a lot. With nationals only a month away, she wanted to be there for the team. This opportunity though came once in a lifetime.

_So let me get this straight, you stuck as a manager instead of joining the girls’ team, and now you’re going to Tokyo to manage Itachiyama? Mirae, no offence, do you have brain damage?_

Her sister’s voice was beginning to give her a headache. She swallowed her guilt and instead messaged a thanks to Yachi for the update.

“Good morning,” Komori greeted as he entered the gym. “Oh, Mirae are you okay?”

“Hi. Yeah, I’m fine.”

She wiped a tear off her cheek.

Today was a repetition of the days before. Glaring eyes, one-word answers, and seven-foot tall giants bodies walking into her. For the first time ever, Emiko was thankful for Mirae’s mini care package that contained a skin cream for bruising.

She dropped on the bench beside Suna and grabbed his phone from his hands.

“Why?” he frowned. “I literally didn’t do anything to you, Suzuki, why are you annoying me?”

“No, Rintaro, no. The real question is why does the team hate me?”

“The team doesn’t hate you,” Suna looked down at his fingers as he began to count. “Riseki doesn’t hate you, Yukio likes you, the three first years smile at you, just down tell the Miyas that, and Ginjima is your friend.”

“Wow,” she blinked. “So out of a team of 20 guys, only 6 like me, and you didn’t even include yourself in there.”

“Yeah, but isn’t that like 70%?”

“Oh God, you really are academically challenged. It’s 30%.”

“Shut up or I’ll tell Osamu that you put your feet up on his chair the other day when he came into class late.”

A look of horror crossed her face. “No.”

“I have pictures.”

“No!” Emiko reached for his phone, but Suna hit it against her forehead.

She rubbed it and glared. “If the team doesn’t hate me then why is this happening to me?”

His brows furrowed. “What exactly is happening to you?”

“Oh, I’m sorry. Have you miraculously become blind and deaf these past few days? Or do you have selective hearing that numbs you of your senses when the Miyas come within spitting distance?”

“You’re not making sense.”

“Why did the team choose me to come here if they hate me?”

He stuffed his phone in the pocket of his pants. “Oh no, you got the wrong idea. We didn’t ask for you. It was Atsumu’s choice.”

Emiko blinked. “I beg your pardon- what?”

“He wanted the smaller one which was you, apparently.”

“Oi,” Osamu drawled. He peered down and frowned. “There was a tiny blonde on yer team last year. We saw her at Nationals. Where’s she?”

“Yachi?” Emiko's eyes widened. “You guys were going to do this to Yachi? No, hell no. You stay away from Yachi, she is pure and innocent and so naïve!” For effect, she stood up on the bench to match Osamu’s height.

“Yeah, why isn’t she here? She _is_ the smaller one.”

The Miya brothers glared and suddenly Emiko wondered if it were smart to stand on the bench where they could easily shove her and give her a concussion.

“You wanted to put Yachi through this torture? How- No! Yachi is a nervous wreck, she is a tiny ball of anxiety that is waiting to burst! She would not last a minute here; she’d wither away and die. She’d combust!”

“That’s what we want,” Atsumu grinned, “s’fun.”

“Fun? You are a psychopath,” she spat back.

Osamu grabbed Emiko by the collar of her shirt and leaned in.

“Osamu,” Suna warned, watching with a bored expression on his face, “don’t push her off. If she gets a bruise my mom’ll ask questions.”

“That’s what you’re worried about?” she squeaked, “You’re a terrible, terrible person!”

“Ya haven’t answered my question,” Osamu cut in. “Why isn’t the tiny one here?”

“She wasn’t invited by the program!” Emiko nearly screamed when he kicked her leg to unbalance her.

Atsumu snorted. Suna cracked a grin.

“Why not? Our coach said we had a choice between the two of ya and the blonde thing is definitely smaller than ya.”

“It was either me or Mirae and sorry to ruin your plans, you freaking demon psychopaths, but Mirae is not smaller than I am.”

“Who the hell is Mirae?”

She grabbed Osamu’s shoulders to steady herself. “Mirae is my best friend and I can promise you that when she finds out what you are doing to me, she will come down here and murder you all. She is crazy fast, superhumanly strong and insanely smart. She’s Mirae Ando, ex-star setter and her fanbase alone will swallow you alive.”

A pair of hands reached out and the next instant, Atsumu took his brother’s place. He yanked her by the front of her shirt, so they were nose to nose.

“Do my threats mean nothing to you?!”

“Mirae Ando?”

“Hey, Rintaro?” Emiko glanced over, “is everyone going deaf? Is it contagious?”

“I’m not playin’ Suzuki.” He shook her again. “How the hell do ya know Mirae Ando and what is she doin’ with the Crows?”

“I _know_ Mirae Ando because she’s my best friend. She’s with the Crows because they are the best and they’re going to defeat you again! She will not allow you to eat Karasuno alive!”

Atsumu stepped back, a look of horror on his face.

“Hey, Atsumu, what’s wrong?”

“Yer telling me,” he swallowed visibly, “we coulda had Mirae Ando but instead we got stuck with this?” he gestured to all of Emiko.

She blinked. “Oh no, really, I’m fine, my feelings don’t exist. Don’t worry about it, keep going and don’t sugar coat anything.”

“Mirae Ando, huh?” Osamu glanced up at the ceiling. “Star setter who won the Under 10 Japan tournament. Her sister’s Rina, right?”

Atsumu made a choking noise and flopped to the ground. “We coulda had Mirae Ando,” he said in disbelief.

Emiko stepped down from the bench and put herself at a safer distance away from them. “Oh, you’re fanboys. Sorry but the fan club is closed. We are no longer accepting applications, especially not from bullies!”

The boys ignored her completely and instead dropped to the bench. They looked visibly sick.

“Oi, ‘Tsumu, maybe we can fix this, yeah?”

Slowly, Atsumu rose, the colour on his face reappearing. “How?”

“It’s only been four days. We can return her.”

“You mean exchange her,” Suna offered, “Suzuki for Mirae Ando.”

“Yeah. Isn’t there a law about thirty days to exchange items?”

“Do I look-” she screamed and threw her hands in the air, “-like an item to you?”

“Suzuki for Ando.” Atsumu ignored her and seriously planned to go through with the idea. “Sakusa is a reasonable fella, I’m sure if we throw in a gift card to a cleaning supplies store, he’d agree.”

Emiko glanced between the three boys. She would not be surprised if a red _X_ had formed on her temple from how hard she was stressing her facial muscles.

“Whoever this Sakusa is would never give her up,” she snapped back, “especially not when I tell him how you’ve been treating me.”

“Yeah but we’d never do that to Ando. She’s a star setter, insanely talented and I bet we’d get along better with her. The entire team would.”

“How would you know?” She demanded, clenching her fists. “You haven’t even met her!”

The Miyas shrugged in unison but it was Suna who responded. He glanced up from his phone and said, “It’s Mirae Ando, can you blame them?”

She held back a scoff. As much as she wanted to relish in an overly dramatic comment and an epic exit scene, Emiko recalled her promise to Ennoshita. He would be disappointed to find out that she got in a fight while at this convention.

That is a problem for future Emiko, an inner voice reasoned, and she gave that voice a mental high five.

“I can blame them. I can blame them and you and everyone else on this godforsaken team.” She shook her head. “You all made up your minds about me without even meeting me. How stupid and unreasonable is that?”

Atsumu opened his mouth to respond. Emiko shot him a glare.

“Do not interrupt me. As I was saying, everyone has decided that they hate me without getting to know me. It’s stupid. It unreasonable. It’s childish and dumb. You’re all dumb. Dumber than Benjiro and believe me, he’s dumb.”

“Benjiro?”

“He’s a soccer boy,” she waved her hand dismissively, “my point is that this is unfair. I’m a human being. I have feelings, okay? I know that the great and all-powerful Mirae Ando is an icon but treating me like this, and then confessing that you would treat her differently, is mean. I’m sorry I’m not her, honestly, but this isn’t my fault.”

“Suzuki, wait,” Suna stood up but she stepped backwards.

“I’m only here for another week. We don’t have to be friends so all I am asking is that we coexist with each other like civilized people. It’s not about you and it’s not about me. I have made a couple of promises to some very important people and I’d like to keep them. So please…”

She felt something drip down to her chin.

“Oops, guess I overdid it,” she choked back a sob, forcing a smile onto her face. “I guess that weird antenna wearing girl and the VP saw the potential in me. I would have been an amazing addition to the drama club.”

Then, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

Ginjima took one look at her face and snapped an angry glare at the three boys.

“What did they do?” he said through clenched teeth.

She shrugged him off and stepped away. “I’m taking the rest of the day off. Inu needs me. Oh,” she paused and looked back, “Rintaro I need the keys to your house. Unless the window is open then I can just climb in.”

She held her hand out and once the keys were placed in her open palm, she turned on her heels and walked towards the gym doors. Voices called her name, but Emiko could only focus on swallowing the lump in her throat.

She felt a vibration in her pocket as she exited the gym. Glancing down at her phone screen, she saw a text message.

 **Kageyama  
** Oi, happy birthday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised, here is the KageyamaxEmiko content. Just kidding! Put down your pitchforks. There is more :P
> 
> Oh! Isn’t it funny how the captains from both schools made their managers cry on the same day?
> 
> Does Sakusa have a point though? If schools like his have money for funds and more than enough players to clean and set up, do they really need managers? Or is that something only the smaller (maybe weaker) schools need?
> 
> Emiko’s been trying to keep the promises she made at Karasuno. Do you think she’ll be able to hold on, or is this going to be the end for her?
> 
> That’s it for this upload, we’ll see you guys next week!


	16. Monstrous City (Shitty) Boys

****Day 5** **

Present Emiko now had to deal with past Emiko’s decision to ruin future Emiko’s life.

That night she locked herself in the bedroom she was staying in. She buried herself under the covers, snuggling Inu and exchanging memes with Kyotani Kentaro.

An hour later, when he left her on read, she made the decision to send her first ever message to Koganegawa who was a student at Date Tech.

Emiko had attended the same middle school as him for a year. He was an innocent and good kid, the only person to laugh at her jokes then. Sure, she had left, and they did not talk much until recently when they reconnected at the city finals, but they frequently commented on each other’s Instagram pictures.

She spent the next hour catching up with him. Unlike Kyotani, Kogane was a spam texter. She would be in the middle of responding when he would ask another ten questions and expect detailed responses to each one. The conversation was refreshing.

When she heard the door open downstairs, she let Inu out and taped a _Do not disturb I am sick_ sign on the door. Then, she retreated under the covers.

Suna locked the door behind him. He heard the soft sound of feet pattering down the steps and stopped to greet his dog. He looked around the living room and kitchen before making his way up the stairs. The note was taped on the door. He took a picture and sent it to Inarizaki’s group chat, captioning _She’s sick of your guys’ BS._

He texted her that dinner was ready, but she never came down.

The next day was a Saturday and the Coaches had arranged for a practice game against another high school in the area. Emiko woke up two hours earlier than she normally did. Shoving her headphones over her ears and grabbing two Monster Bulldozer 3000s in each hand, she stomped all the way to school.

Coaches Oomi and Kurosu greeted her with curious expressions. She must have looked like a rabid squirrel and Emiko realized too late that she had not brushed her hair.

She pulled her hair into a tight ponytail and got to work setting up the nets, checking the air pressure in the volleyballs, piling the jerseys, and placing chairs. She had finished just as both teams entered. Emiko dodged everyone by hiding behind the podium near the speakers.

Coach Kurosu sat beside her. Today he was feeling especially talkative.

“It’s good to wake up early,” he said, “my dog wakes early every morning. Fetches me the newspaper.”

“Wow,” Emiko drawled, slipping her headphones on, “must be an excellent dog.”

“He’s the best.”

“I bet.”

The opposing team came from Koyote High and they were Inarizaki’s sworn enemy, as Yukio wrote to her through text. Coyotes versus Foxes.

Just like their mascot, the boys from Koyote were clever and larger in build.

Just like their mascot, Inarizaki was devious and sly.

“Oi, Sunarin,” Atsumu called as he walked onto the court with his brother, “where’s Suzuki?”

“You didn’t get the message in the group chat?” he asked, refusing to look up from where he was sprawled on the ground. “She’s sick.”

“She ain’t sick. She’s lyin’.”

“She’s sick of your BS.”

“Yers too,” Osamu retorted. “Ya were in on it too, Rin. Don’t play the victim game.”

“Yeah no. I’m not. The difference is I fed her dumplings and spring rolls, so she likes me.”

“Does not,” Atsumu growled back.

Osamu placed a hand on his brother’s shoulder and nodded. “S’fine. We’ll feed her onigiri and ramen. I’ll even make her a fish stew.”

Suna blinked and stood up. “Yes,” he encouraged, “she loves eating fish. It’s her favourite food.”

“She’s lookin’ fer a bribe then?”

“A darn useless manager if ya ask me.”

“No one asked you though.”

“It's her chance to show off to the Coyotes as our manager, but she’s throwin’ a fit? Don’t know about the rest of ya, but this is certainly goin’ on the assessments.”

“What happens if we fail her?” Osamu asked.

“Let’s find out.”

Coach Oomi blew the whistle and called the teams to take their places on the court. Atsumu stalked up to Koyote’s team captain, an angry-looking kid with a buzz cut, and chose to stick his tongue out in greeting.

“One of these days,” Koyote's Captain warned, “I’m gonna bite yer tongue off.”

Atsumu smirked. “I don’t swing that way, but I appreciate the compliment.”

“You brat!”

“Nah, yer just sayin’ that ‘cause yer scared.”

“There’s nothin’ to be scared of when the average height of yer entire team is shorter than ours.”

“Which would be great if you knew the basics of blockin’.”

“We’ve improved since last time.”

“I’d hope so. Playin’ against scrubs is such a waste of time and energy.”

“I’m gonna make ya eat yer words.”

Atsumu cocked his head to the side. Koyote captain glanced over to where Inarizaki’s vice-captain was standing with arms crossed over his chest. The look in his eyes was cold.

“Funny enough, ‘Samu just mentioned he was starvin’.”

Serves that whipped the air and blew her bangs into her face.

Spikes so sharp and loud that they seemed to be projectile missiles bombarding the ground before anyone could move out the way.

Their arms reached over the net and blocked in a way that mocked.

By the end of the hour, Inarizaki had won three of the five sets.

It was a rough game and as much as she tried to distract herself with her phone and music, Emiko kept glancing at the court. Inarizaki’s playing style was similar to Karasuno’s and the first time she saw the Miyas execute a quick attack that was almost a carbon copy of Hinata and Kageyama’s, she nearly lost her mind.

Though the twins only used it once, she knew it was a perfected technique. And she also knew that they showed it to her on purpose in the fifth set.

Koyote’s playing style was more reserved but they had heavy hitters. She expected nothing less from boys who looked like they ate rocks for breakfast and bench-pressed baby elephants.

“Oh, woe to me,” Emiko whispered as she stood up. She was not heartless, she had to be the bigger person, and these boys needed their water bottles (or, as Mirae said, they would shrivel up and die).

She avoided eye contact as she made her way across the gym. Wordlessly, she gave them out. As she neared the twins, she held her breath and placed the water bottles down. Her attempt at speed-walking away was in vain when Atsumu gripped her ankle and motioned for her to lean down.

“What?”

“We played good, right?”

“I’ve seen worse. So yeah, you played good.”

His jaw dropped.

Osamu fell to his back and clung to her other ankle. “Yer talkin’ ‘bout Karasuno, huh? Do they always disappoint ya?”

“For your information,” she snapped, trying to free herself from the twins’ grip without falling to her face. “Karasuno plays amazing! We have got these first years who scare the hell out of everyone they face. Not to mention the rest of our players.”

“How’s Tobio-kun?”

“Tobio is at the All Japan Youth Training Camp in Tokyo. He’s doing amazing.”

“That’s the one ya didn’t get invited to this year, ‘Tsumu.”

“Says the one who wasn’t invited at all,” he snapped back. He let go of her and grabbed his water bottle. “How’s Shoyou-kun?”

“Hinata is thriving.”

Osamu snatched the bottle of water from his brother and held it over his own mouth as he drank.

“Ew,” Suna drawled as he shifted away. “The twins are exchanging saliva.”

“We shared a womb, Rin, this is normal.”

“So the deviant duo,” Atsumu was fidgeting, “they practicin' hard?”

“What type of question is that? Of course, they’re practicing hard. Wanna know why? Both are training with Mirae Ando. Especially Tobio. Do you three know who Mirae Ando is? Huh? Oh, wait, silly me, of course, you know her.”

She turned back to stalk to the safety of her podium and adult supervision. Someone scrambled after her, and she prayed it was not a Miya twin.

Again, her ancestors disappointed because Atsumu stopped in front of her. “Yer serious?” he demanded.

“Serious about what?”

“About Tobio-kun practicin’ with Ando?”

Emiko felt a smirk tug at her lips. Being able to make her retort was a liberating feeling. She did not want to stop. She wanted to take some form of revenge, anything to put herself on the scoreboard. If Inarizaki was winning the mini battles every day up until now, Emiko had to plan for psychological warfare. She had to launch an attack that would let her have the last laugh.

“You guys might be preparing to eat Karasuno alive at nationals and based on how your team plays I’d say you’ll probably end up winning. Probably. Still, our team is not going down without a fight. At the very least, we’ll send you off with enough wounds to make your next match a _slaughter_.”

She watched the colour drain from his face before skipping away.

Yukio stood by the bench and faced her with a smile. He extended his arms and held out an Inarizaki jacket. “Look Emiko-chan! I am no longer useless. I finally got the team jacket and both of our coaches welcomed me as manager.”

“I’m sorry, you _just_ got your jacket? Are you telling me, that I got one before you? Me, a visitor, got an Inarizaki jacket before an actual Inarizaki student?”

“Yeah, I’m just really glad to be helpin’ the team fer real, ya know?” Yukio scratched the back of his head, a slight blush coloured his cheeks. “My Captain said I was wastin’ my time since I didn’t know anythin’.”

A look of horror crossed Emiko’s face. She gripped his shoulders. “Yukio take that back! You know things, you are not wasting your time, and you are not useless.”

“Emiko-chan, ya don’t hafta lie.” He glanced down at her innocently. “I really was useless. Heck, I didn’t even know how to calculate ma restin’ heart rate. Somethin’ as simple as that, and I didn’t even know it. The Captain and vice-Captain weren’t lyin’, but I’m glad I learned from ya.”

She blinked. “I’ll be right back. You wear that jacket proud Yukio.”

She stomped over and pulled on the back of the twins’ shirts, instantly regretting it as she felt the sweat from the material.

“What the hell is wrong with you two?”

“What’re ya talkin’ about?”

“Don’t play dumb,” she scowled, “why are you telling Yukio he’s useless?”

The twins shared a look.

“He is,” Osamu deadpanned.

“No, he isn’t. He’s learning.”

“Nah we did it so he could become self-aware.”

“Oh really? Well, you’re both idiots. How about that?” She crossed her arms over her chest. “Are you self-aware now?”

“Would’ya look at that ‘Samu, the twerp’s got an opinion.”

“Twerps aren’t allowed to haf opinions.”

“I am not a twerp.”

“Sure, Suzuki. And we’re not twins.”

Emiko buried her head in her hands, muffling a yell of frustration. The twins ignored her and turned their attention to the other end of the gym.

“Hey, Samu?”

“Yeah, Tsumu?”

They faced the multi-coloured banner that supported Koyote High.

“Together,” Atsumu read in a sing-song voice, “we can do it.”

Osamu snickered. “If we try.”

Their teammates did not bother stifling their laughs. The banner was a cringey mess and no person would match it to the current team that was Koyote High.

“Stop that,” Emiko snapped. She did not want to be interrogated as a witness for the murder that was about to go down. She turned to the other team’s Captain and bowed, “I am so sorry.”

“S’fine,” the boy paused, “never seen ya before.”

“Oh, I’m Emiko Ukai.”

He flashed her a grin and reached out. “Kane Ono.”

“It’s nice to meet you. I’m actually a student from Karasuno High in Miyagi.”

“Really?” His eyes widened. He called a few of his teammates over and introduced them as well. Soon enough, she was crowded by boys a full foot taller than she was who were invested in the nonsense she was spouting.

“I always add chocolate chips at the last minute. That way, they melt over the cake without overcooking.”

“That’s an interesting technique.”

“I’ll have to try it myself.”

“What about in pancakes?”

“I add the batter to the pan, wait a few seconds, add the chocolate chips and add another layer of batter.”

“Doesn’t the pancake become too thick?”

Emiko pursed her lips as she walked to keep up with them. “I guess so, but I have this wooden ladle that I use for crepes to thin it out in the pan. Also, you have to make the batter a bit more liquidy than usual.”

“Ooh, that’s smart.”

She grinned proudly. Having been deprived of appreciation like this nearly made her give up on all of humanity. But all was not lost. Even in a place like Hyogo, there was hope.

“Guys!” a voice yelled from somewhere in the gym.

Kane nudged her. “Buttercream or frosting?”

“Guys quick!”

“Yeah, I can never tell the difference.” The boy on her right side peered down. “What’s the difference?”

“Guys she ain’t here!”

“I still think Waffles are superior.”

“Guys they took Suzuki!”

“That’s my name,” she frowned. Emiko looked up and realized that she was now outside. The group of boys huddling around her had blocked out the sun and their body warmth warmed her from the cold air but as she looked down and saw the snow-covered pavement, she realized the truth.

The Koyote boys were slowly but surely guiding her outside towards their own bus.

A body pushed itself through the group and latched onto her arm. She tried to break free but recognized the slanted green eyes.

“Rintaro?”

“My ma will kill me if you end up kidnapped.”

“Oi, Suna!” A Miya twin called, “Didja get her? Didja? Samu’s comin’ with the fire ‘stinguisher, hold on tight!”

A fight broke out. Inarizaki was pulling Koyote away to get to the center where the rescue mission was afoot, but the bigger-built boys were like bears.

“Oh hell no,” Emiko huffed. She yanked Suna down so they were crouched on the ground. “We’re getting out of here. Follow me.”

They crawled between their legs and it took a while, but they managed to free themselves. Emiko scampered back into the gymnasium; Suna hot on her heels.

“I got the ‘stinguisher,” Osamu proclaimed as he greeted them at the gym doors.

Emiko fought him for it. “And what the hell do you plan on doing with this?”

“Make ‘em back off? At the very least tamper with their vision.”

“This has mono ammonium phosphate and sodium bicarbonate.”

Suna’s eyes widened. “It’s a bomb?” He stepped back, pulling Osamu with him. “Why the hell does our school have a bomb?”

“No, you idiots! But if any of those boys out there have asthma or lung problems, and they breathe it in, they’ll get dizzy and pass out.”

“Oh, then it’s fine,” Osamu reached out.

Emiko shrieked and struggled to run away with the fire extinguisher.

There had not been another incident of the stalker since Mirae Ando set foot onto the campus. Whispers and gossip of a new incident almost daily had minimized to that one incident involving the school’s guest.

Komori decided that he needed to put an end to this reign of fear. If his assumptions were true, the stalker would attack Mirae again. He was back in his dorm after camping in the tunnels for hours, when he heard a deep voice yell and cuss “No!” At the exact same second, a higher-pitched shriek exclaimed “Yes!”

He faltered but ultimately chose to run down the right hallway towards the girls’ dorms. The scream came from Mirae and Himari’s room. He knocked urgently.

“Come in.”

She was clutching a stuffed owl to her chest. It was nearly half her size. Dried tears stained her cheeks and a large blanket covered her head. Soft music played from her laptop.

“It happened,” she hiccupped, biting her lip and grinning from ear to ear. “It finally happened.”

He glanced around her room. “What exactly happened?”

“He found her. He found Yua!”

Komori tilted his head, wondering who this “he” was and his connection to “Yua”. The names sounded oddly familiar.

“Komori this is terrible,” Sakusa grumbled from behind him. He was pushed to the side as his cousin entered the room.

“What’s terrible?”

“He found her. He found Yua.”

Komori looked from Mirae to Sakusa and realization dawned on him. “This is about that terrible T. V. drama, isn’t it?”

“It’s not terrible!” they snapped. Then, they looked at each other.

Sakusa narrowed his eyes. “You watch Yua loves Eichii?”

“I do.” Mirae paused. “Do you?”

“I do. Did you see the latest episode?”

“Yeah, I just watched it. Did you?”

“Yeah. I hated it.”

“Why?” she pulled the blanket off and stood up. Holding the stuffed owl against her hip as though it was a child, she began to scold the two of them. “Yua loved Eichii from the moment she met him. She deserves him!”

“She was an idiot,” Sakusa retorted. “She lied to him the entire time. Eichii should have confessed to Sara.”

“Sara cheated on every boyfriend she ever had.”

“But she never lied to Eichii. Besides, side characters are always better than main characters.”

Mirae scoffed. “So what? Are you saying you’d rather be cheated on than lied to? How does that make sense? The very fact that she cheated is a lie.”

“You’re making assumptions. There was no proof that she would cheat on Eichii if they got together. When she was talking to Eichii, she never slept with anyone else.”

“People don’t change overnight, Sakusa.”

“Oh, so you’re one of those people.”

“Those people?”

“Those people- the types who believe one action defines a person’s entire existence. The next thing you’ll say is that you don’t believe in rehabilitation or giving guilty people a second chance.”

“That’s an entirely different conversation and you know it.” She stood on her tiptoes and glared. “Don’t you dare compare Yua to a hardened criminal.”

“Speaking of criminals, didn’t she steal bread from that bakery in episode nine?”

“It was to survive! Not everyone is as fortunate as we are to have plenty of food and shelter!”

“She had other options.”

“Like what? Begging on the streets?”

“She grew up as a beggar.”

“Don’t look down on Yua. She did her best. When she found out that Eichii was interested in her, she stopped begging. She lied to protect his reputation. She came from a poor family.”

“Eichii wouldn’t have cared about that.”

Komori sat on the bed. He reached over and grabbed the bucket of popcorn. Watching Sakusa and Mirae point fingers and yell at each other was entertaining. “Please, continue,” he commented when they had gone silent, glaring at each other. “This is way more interesting than any show.”

Whatever spell they were under lifted.

Sakusa turned interest to his cousin. He ripped the bowl of popcorn from his hands.

“Hey,” Komori pouted, “I was eating that.”

“And why the hell are you here?”

He made grabby hands but Sakusa lifted the bowl over his head.

“I heard a scream.”

“You heard a scream?” he deadpanned. “A likely story for a stalker.”

“For the last time, I’m not the stalker!”

“I yelled too. How come you didn’t come to check on me?”

“That’s because you’re a six-foot man who plays competitive volleyball and can defend themselves.” Mirae jumped and yanked the bowl from him. “Be nice to Komori.”

“I don’t owe him any favours.”

“It’s called being civil.”

“My manners are perfectly fine. I can’t say the same for yours.”

She froze. Heat crept up her neck.

“What?”

“Judge me for my traits when you are flawless. Motoya is my cousin and friend and if he has a problem with how I talk to him, he is mature enough to discuss it with me. You need to stop being so naïve.”

Her words got lodged in her throat. She blinked once, twice, and wrung her hands to remind herself of where she was. Not in her head. Not pinned down. Not in suffocating in silence.

As the flashbacks came and clouded her thoughts, she forced herself to breathe.

Sakusa was not that manipulative boy who used to whisper in her ear.

Sakusa was looking out for her, unlike that abusive boy who was forcing her to rely on him and see everyone else as an enemy.

Sakusa's eyes though were lifeless and cold, Just like his.

Why did he berate her? Why did he look down on her? It wasn't the first time. Why did he try to shut her up with a glare and cold reasoning? Why wasn’t he listening to her when she said it was not Komori? Why was he making her seem weak?

Why wasn’t he listening to her?

“I want you to leave my room.”

Both boys glanced at her and frowned. Komori was the first to react.

“What’s wrong?”

“Leave,” she repeated, “both of you. Right now, or I’ll scream.”

She had never seen someone run so fast in her life.

Maybe she was naïve but she refused to believe that she was weak. She had a voice, so people needed to listen to her.

Mirae only realized the warning signs of an abusive person when the damage was done.

Keeping track of where you are and who you are with. Discouraging you from making friends. Blaming you for their anger. Humiliation.

She identified none of these with Komori so the baseless accusations made her angry. This was not a game. This was real life and she had already met a monster.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is a warning to all: If you mess with a first-year you get Emiko Ukai.
> 
> So obviously Emiko has mentioned time and time again that she is smart. She is in class 1 by choice, after all. And the fact that she knows the chemicals in a fire extinguisher really helps her case. Just wait until Kuroo finds out she is a science nerd too. Who just casually knows this fact?
> 
> As you can probably tell, Mirae is going through some things. She is in no way a perfect person. Her support system is distant and because she wants to be professional, she is struggling to keep her personal life and feelings separate from the convention. For this reason, you may start seeing a more aggressive side to her. She is called the Runaway for a reason.
> 
> To make it clear, we are in no way comparing Sakusa to an abusive person. He is joking (in his own unique type of humour). The reason why Mirae got angry with him is because he was repeatedly saying that Komori is the stalker.
> 
> Mirae has experienced manipulation first-hand. She trusts Komori enough to know he would never hurt her like that.
> 
> Next week we’re bringing back the “Anti-Tobio Kageyama Campaign + Mirae”. Just a bit of humour after these past few chapters :P 
> 
> Thank you for the support, see you next week!


	17. Anti-Tobio Kageyama Campaign + Mirae

** Anti-Tobio Kageyama Campaign + Mirae **

**Kunimi**  
They go to the city for a few days and they've already forgotten about us country boys

 **Kindaichi**  
Yeah, they won't even text us back anymore

 **Mirae**  
Oh God...  
Guys I am so sorry!  
This convention has been crazy

 **Emiko**  
You losers need my attention, don't you?  
Well sorry to burst your bubble but I haven't been getting attention either  
And if I'm not getting attention neither are you

 **Kindaichi**  
Hey Mirae  
Hi Emiko

 **Kunimi**  
Shut up Emiko  
Anyways, you guys should make it up to us

 **Kindaichi**  
Isn't that a bit straightforward?

 **Emiko**  
Kunimi, I hate you

 **Kunimi**  
Sure you do

 **Mirae**  
I think we all should hangout once this convention is over  
It feels like I haven't seen you guys in months

 **Kunimi**  
Bet

 **Kindaichi**  
Sounds like a plan

 **Emiko**  
 ****But like- I don't want to

 **Mirae**  
You were literally complaining about this the other day  
Complaining that we haven't seen them in so long

 **Emiko**  
Wow  
That was for your ears only

 **Kindaichi**  
Awe, Emiko wants to spend time with us

 **Emiko**  
😐

 **Mirae**  
:)

 **Emiko**  
Whatever  
Oh wait!  
Guys, you'll never believe what happened today  
Guys  
Don't ignore me  
Ask me what happened today?

 **Kindaichi**  
What happened today?

 **Emiko**  
I was almost kidnapped!

 **Kunimi**  
Lies

 **Mirae**  
Impossible

 **Kunimi**  
No one would willingly kidnap you

 **Mirae**  
They'd bring you right back

 **Emiko**  
Um  
RUDE

 **Kindaichi**  
You're in Hyogo, right?  
How were you almost kidnapped?

 **Emiko**  
Thank you Charred Onion as least someone appreciates me here

 **Kunimi**  
Wow this is new  
A thank you? Impossible  
Who are you and how did you get a hand on Emiko's phone?

 **Emiko**  
I am me!

 **Mirae**  
Leave it to Emiko to throw in an insult to someone who's trying to be nice

 **Kunimi**  
This is why we have to be mean, rude, ruthless and anti-Emiko

 **Emiko**  
Take that back!  
Both of you!

 **Kindaichi**  
That sentence was almost right  
But you just had to throw in the Charred Onion nickname  
Whatever. Progress is progress

 **Kunimi**  
No  
Don't settle for less  
You deserve better

 **Emiko**  
Ooh  
Kunimi has the hots for Kindaichi😏

 **Mirae**  
Awe that's cute  
Let me know if you two need help planning a date night  
I have some great ideas

 **Emiko**  
You went on one date  
ONE

 **Mirae**  
Oh I'm sorry  
As if you've been on any

 **Emiko**  
For the record

 **Mirae**  
Don't even  
If you lie it'll look so sad

 **Emiko**  
Maybe I went on a date here in Hyogo

 **Mirae**  
Wow  
Suddenly the selective vision and hearing comment makes sense  
Everyone in Hyogo must be blind and deaf

 **Emiko**  
I am a lovely person Mirae  
10/10  
Much better than the demon queen

 **Kindaichi**  
Are we going to overlook the fact that you two set us up?

 **Kunimi**  
Interesting

 **Mirae**  
At least the Demon Queen got married

 **Emiko**  
No  
False  
My father is trapped

 **Kunimi**  
Stockholm syndrome

 **Emiko**  
There is no love between them

 **Kindaichi**  
I thought your mom married into your dad's family?

 **Emiko**  
Yeah she's trying to sever all ties with the Ukais  
It's boiling her blood that I'm living with my Uncle Keishin  
Sucks to be the demon queen tho cuz I love him

 **Mirae**  
Ukai hates you  
He said so

 **Emiko**  
What's that?  
Mirae dropped the honorifics for her Coach?  
An opportunity to screenshot?

 **Mirae**  
Do it  
The first thing he'll notice is you talking about him  
And anytime you even look at him he thinks you're plotting  
You'll just give him an excuse to take your phone

 **Emiko**  
Listen here you

 **Kunimi**  
Boring  
Talk about something new  
How am I supposed to contribute to this conversation

 **Mirae**  
You could help me provoke Emiko

 **Kindaichi**  
No

 **Kunimi**  
I would but the score is currently 2:158  
I feel sorry for her

 **Kindaichi**  
What?

 **Emiko**  
You made that number up!  
There is no way I am losing that bad

 **Kunimi**  
You're still losing

 **Kindaichi**  
New topic!  
Emiko you said something about being kidnapped?

 **Kunimi**  
You believe her?

 **Emiko**  
RUDE  
Anyways, Inarizaki was playing a practice game and after when the other team was going to leave, they crowded around me and started moving me outside to their bus  
I had to get saved from the middle of a dozen seven foot volleyball players  
It was intense

 **Kunimi**  
A likely story

 **Emiko**  
What?  
You don't believe me?

 **Kunimi**  
No one believes you

 **Mirae**  
You sure you weren't just following them out to their bus?

 **Kunimi**  
Yeah and now you are exaggerating the story

 **Kindaichi**  
You are a dramatic person and you get easily distracted

 **Emiko**  
Were any of you there?  
You have to believe me!  
I was almost kidnapped!

 **Kunimi**  
Sure

 **Mirae**  
Okay

 **Kindaichi**  
We believe you

 **Emiko**  
I hate you  
All of you  
The betrayal I feel right now is immense!

 **Kunimi**  
Wow  
She's using big words

 **Mirae**  
Careful Emiko you don't want to hurt yourself

 **Kindaichi**  
Did you search for that word in a dictionary?

 **Emiko**  
Um rude!  
My vocabulary is not limited thank you very much!  
And why in the freaking world are Kunimi and Mirae teaming up against me?

 **Kunimi**  
Lies

 **Emiko**  
There is so much going on here  
But I guess you guys won't believe me

 **Kunimi**  
Yeah we didn't ask

 **Kindaichi**  
I'll listen to you Emiko

 **Emiko**  
Too late I already texted my best friends Mad Dog and Kogane  
That's right I've replaced all of you

 **Kunimi**  
Bet

 **Mirae**  
Okay but that's two people  
We're three here

 **Kunimi**  
Lol she can't count

 **Emiko**  
Hey I have an idea  
Let's change this groupchat name to EVERYONE ATTACK EMIKO

 **Kunimi**  
Good idea

**_Mirae has changed the groupchat name to Everyone Attack Emiko_ **

**Emiko**  
I hate you all

 **Kindaich**  
But I haven't done anything?

 **Emiko**  
That's the damn point

 **Kindaichi**  
You want me to bully you like them?

 **Emiko**  
I'm not going to answer that

 **Kunimi**  
You did this to yourself lol

 **Emiko**  
LITERALLY HOW!

 **Mirae**  
Do you want that list alphabetized?  
Or by the severity of harm caused?

 **Kunimi**  
Lol this is great

 **Kindaichi**  
No this isn't great  
You two are being unnecessarily aggressive

 **Mirae**  
Lies

 **Kunimi**  
You have no proof

 **Kindaichi**  
You both sound like Emiko  
When she's attacking me for no reason other than existing

 **Emiko**  
Are you losers trying to be me?

 **Mirae**  
-_-

 **Kunimi**  
Who's gonna tell her?

 **Emiko**  
Okay what is this?  
Bully Emiko Ukai month??

 **Kunimi**  
We can't help it

 **Mirae**  
You make it too easy

 **Emiko**  
That's it!  
Mirae you are not allowed to talk to Kunimi anymore!  
He has to make his own friends  
He can't just steal mine

 **Mirae**  
Um here's an idea  
How about no?

 **Kunimi**  
Excellent idea Mirae  
I think it's genius

 **Emiko**  
It is not genius!  
I forbid any more Mirae+Kunimi time

 **Kunimi**  
You can't forbid anything  
She's helping me because I need her

 **Kindaichi**  
Okay that's a lie

 **Mirae**  
No it isn't  
Kunimi is in a vulnerable place right now  
He needs emotional support

 **Kindaichi**  
He's lying to you  
He's manipulating you  
He's being a sneaky bastard

 **Kunimi**  
Lies

 **Emiko**  
But suffering is normal for him. It's his default setting

 **Kunimi**  
Gee thanks

 **Emiko**  
I'm just saying  
You always look like you're done with life  
Your whole aura is 'Come and Take Me Death'  
Do I need to resend those pictures that I have of you?

 **Kunimi**  
I thought I told you to delete those  
And too bad my aura isn't working

 **Emiko**  
And I told you those pictures make me laugh  
But what the hell happened to Kunimi for him to be suffering more so than usual?

 **Kunimi**  
👁🤔👩🏻👁🤗👩🏻  
👩🏻❌🧠  
🤯🤬😡🥺

 **Emiko**  
What is that supposed to mean?  
Seriously  
Use your words, you've been spamming emojis for the past week

 **Mirae**  
You can't read that?

 **Emiko**  
Don't even try to play with me right now Mirae  
I know you can't read that either

 **Mirae**  
Yes I can

 **Emiko**  
Liar!

 **Mirae**  
Your baseless accusations are unnecessary!

 **Emiko**  
You're unnecessary!

 **Kindaichi**  
Why is everyone so angry?

 **Kunimi**  
🧑🏻🔪👩🏻👉🏼👻👉🏼⚰️👉🏼☠️

 **Emiko**  
Huh?  
Wait-  
Hold up-  
HE'S GOING TO MURDER ME???  
WTFFFF

 **Kunimi**  
😂🖕🏼

 **Mirae**  
Is that so?  
Kunimi do it

 **Kindaichi**  
What the- No!  
Stop!  
What is wrong with you?!

 **Kunimi**  
🥴🤐😚😊

 **Emiko**  
I will take the initiative to admit him into a mental hospital  
You're welcome

 **Mirae**  
You should admit yourself too  
Maybe you guys can be roommates

 **Kindaichi**  
Maybe Emiko and Kunimi need to talk things out

 **Mirae**  
In the mental ward

 **Kunimi**  
No  
Talking is overrated

 **Mirae**  
Bold of you to assume she can hold a conversation for more than three seconds

 **Emiko**  
Are you guys questioning my intelligence?

 **Mirae**  
What intelligence?

 **Kunimi**  
You? Intelligence?  
No that doesn't seem right

 **Emiko**  
RUDE

 **Kindaichi**  
That is a little uncalled-for guys

 **Emiko**  
And on this special month as well!

 **Kindaichi**  
Special month?

 **Emiko**  
I'm going to give you a pass here Kindaichi because you are the only one who texted me happy birthday

 **Kunimi**  
I'm not saying hbd  
I'm mad at you

 **Emiko**  
Bruh  
If anything I should be mad at you!  
And its too late now. I don't want your hbd wish

 **Kunimi**  
Good. I'm not saying it

 **Emiko**  
Why are you being so extra?

 **Kunimi**  
Me? Extra? Impossible

 **Emiko**  
Mirae what do you have to say for yourself?

 **Mirae**  
I was busy

 **Kunimi**  
You don't need to lie Mirae  
You probably forgot  
It's not that memorable anyway

 **Emiko**  
Excuse you?!

 **Kunimi**  
Sagittarius' are just 🤢🤮

 **Emiko**  
I can excuse the demon queen for forgetting but YOU Mirae?  
I had higher expectations

 **Kindaichi**  
The Aries in you is really showing

 **Kunimi**  
Good

 **Kindaichi**  
Ease up guys

 **Emiko**  
Which parallel universe have we entered that you two are bullying ME and Kindaichi is trying to save my honour?!

 **Kunimi**  
You have no honour

 **Mirae**  
?

 **Emiko**  
My ancestors are ANGRY with your ancestors  
They will be in contact  
Prepare for WAR!

 **Kunimi**  
Bet  
My ancestors disowned me

 **Emiko**  
Oh

 **Mirae**  
So what happens now?

 **Emiko**  
I'm not sure  
I don't know the rules for spiritual war against disowned grandchildren  
Ha disowned?  
Couldn't be me. I could never

 **Kunimi**  
My grandparents are alive don't kill them off you freak

 **Kindaichi**  
Where is this conversation headed?

 **Mirae**  
Kunimi you can borrow my ancestors for the war

 **Emiko**  
I already told you that your ancestors are weak  
They won't stand a chance against my ancestors

 **Kindaichi**  
You guys can borrow my ancestors too

 **Kunimi**  
Thanks man

 **Mirae**  
Ooh now this seems interesting

 **Emiko**  
What the- No!  
This is definitely against the rules of spirit war

 **Kunimi**  
Prepare yourselves Suzuki Clan  
For the Coup D'etat

 **Emiko**  
Bold of you to assume I'm referring to the Suzuki Clan  
No, I am referring to the Ukai ancestry  
Please, my family line is so strong no other ancestry stands a chance

 **Kindaichi**  
We're getting front row tickets to the war

 **Emiko**  
You are all going to hell  
I'll make our guardian dragons drag you there by your hair

 **Kunimi**  
Sure  
Only if your ancestors win

 **Emiko**  
How dare YOU question OUR strength?

 **Kindaichi**  
But it's not your strength  
It's their spiritual strength  
You are alive so you can't contribute to it

 **Emiko**  
Oh no problem  
I won't be alive much longer anyway here in Hyogo  
I'll join them soon enough😊👍🏼

 **Mirae**  
Can I contact you via séance?  
I heard the Ouja board is a reliable way to contact the dead

 **Emiko**  
I am literally going to haunt you and three lines of your generation

 **Mirae**  
Ooh! Like in Yua Loves Eichii!!

 **Kunimi**  
Speaking of Yua Loves Daichi

 **Kindaichi**  
Eichii

 **Kunimi**  
Did you watch the most recent episode?

 **Mirae**  
I did!

 **Kunimi**  
I'm surprised you haven't called Kindaichi yet  
You guys always talk right after the episode airs

 **Emiko**  
Ooh I sense drama

 **Mirae**  
There is no drama  
I've just been really busy in Tokyo

 **Emiko**  
Yeah, so busy that you can't pick up my phone calls  
Or send a happy birthday text

 **Mirae**  
Just drop it already

 **Kunimi**  
Shut-up Emiko this isn't about you  
Anyways  
I'm sure you can spare a few minutes  
You guys love that show

 **Mirae**  
The Coach has kept me on my feet  
I'm up by 5 am and back in bed by midnight

 **Kindaichi**  
It's okay Mirae I understand

 **Emiko**  
Wait they've made you a SLAVE?!  
That is unacceptable!  
Are they paying you well??

 **Mirae**  
Emiko  
This is a student program  
Volunteer

 **Emiko**  
They're paying me

 **Mirae**  
No they're not

 **Emiko**  
They will be when I file my lawsuit

 **Kunimi**  
You're on drugs, aren't you?

 **Emiko**  
I have proof  
I will demand compensation for physical and emotional abuse  
Trauma  
Life lasting injuries

 **Mirae**  
You've lost your mind  
Those were drugs you texted me about before, weren't they?

 **Kunimi**  
Bring me back a kilo and I'll pay you Emiko  
I won't tell 😉

 **Kindaichi**  
Illegal and immoral

 **Mirae**  
I'm telling Ennoshita

 **Emiko**  
NO!  
I WAS JOKING  
THERE ARE NO DRUGS  
I SWEAR  
I AM SO CLEAN

 **Kunimi**  
I believe you Emiko  
Now bring me back a kilo ok?

 **Emiko**  
You are an ATHLETE you should not be doing drugs  
Mirae I can send you my blood samples I swear I have not taken any drugs

 **Mirae**  
I can't trust you  
Especially not after what Coach Ukai told us  
About the strange man and the candy

 **Emiko**  
That was an accident  
I've learnt my lesson

 **Kunimi**  
So before this took ten different left turns...  
Kindaichi has been grumbling and mumbling about the T.V show to me  
I can't be bothered  
Do you mind calling him so you can fangirl/fanboy over it together?

 **Kindaichi**  
I do not grumble and mumble to you

 **Kunimi**  
Lies and you know it

 **Emiko**  
She has no time for your stupidity  
The time she does have (aside from homework and club activities) she spends with her future boyfriend

 **Kunimi**  
No

 **Emiko**  
Yup!

 **Kunimi**  
Who is this?

 **Emiko**  
The one  
The only  
Karasuno's middle blocker

 **Kunimi**  
You're dating that shrimp??

 **Emiko**  
Bruh  
Hinata is off limits to everyone!  
I will find him the best wife possible!

 **Kindaichi**  
And does Hinata know about this plan of yours?

 **Emiko**  
...  
He doesn't need to

 **Kunimi**  
Wait that leaves the glasses wearing kid

 **Emiko**  
Kei Tsukishima and Mirae Ando sitting in a tree

 **Mirae**  
If you finish that sentence, I will find a way to teleport and kill you

 **Emiko**  
You are no fun  
Literally why am I even in this group chat

 **Kunimi**  
Leave

 **Mirae**  
Admin can't leave though  
  


 **Emiko**  
Yeah but I can mute you losers

 **Kunimi**  
You wouldn't

 **Mirae**  
You'd be so scared that we're talking behind your back

 **Kunimi**  
Which we do  
In case that wasn't clear

 **Emiko**  
I have decided to take up a new hobby  
It's making voodoo dolls  
Kunimi how would you like to die? Since I am so nice and considerate of your feelings (even though you don't have any) would you like to die by drowning or strangulation?  
Choice is yours!

 **Kunimi**  
I can't be killed

 **Mirae**  
He has the power of my ancestors

 **Emiko**  
Your ancestors are weak!  
We already went over this!  
Wait  
Where's the charred onion?  
He hasn't been online for a while now and he's usually the last to leave our spam chats

 **Kunimi**  
This is your fault

 **Emiko**  
How?  
Um hello?  
Akira Kunimi you get back here!

 **Mirae**  
I think they both left

 **Emiko**  
So the one time I get to talk to my friends and they leave me  
I am so disappointed

 **Mirae**  
They're not your friends

 **Emiko**  
Yes they are!  
They are my bestest friends!  
Mirae? Where'd you go??  
Did you really just leave too???

**_Emiko named the group Anti-Tobio Kageyama Campaign + Mirae_ **


	18. A Critical Hit and a Critical Moment

**Night 5**

Emiko threw herself face-first onto the bed and screamed into the pillow.

The house was empty so she did not need to silence her tantrum but in the odd chance that her screams vibrated through the walls and floors, she did not want Inu to be scared.

The fifth day of the torturous manager convention had passed and although she was not one to quit, Emiko had half a thought to throw everything in her bag and hitchhike the rest of the way back to Miyagi. She would take the cardio over whatever this living situation was any day. She did not blame Mrs. or Mr. Suna because they were the sweetest parents she'd ever met.

It was those damn Miya Twins and their volleyball team.

She had been the new student at many schools. Her parents moved around for work and so nearly every year she would be in a different city, a different country, where she had to make friends who would become strangers by the end of the year.

She had been bullied and ignored, laughed at and teased, but this was different. Somehow it was different.

As Emiko rolled to her side for the dozenth time, she felt her phone vibrate against her waist. She pulled it out from underneath and sat up so fast her head spun. She hesitated as she read the caller ID but answered by the fourth ring.

"Tobio?"

"Hey," his deep voice answered, levelled and unsure. "You weren't asleep, were you?"

"Nope just having an existential crisis."

"An existential...?"

"It's when you sit there and think if your life even has any meaning."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

Silence.

"Okay, I'm going to hang up now."

"Why?"

She looked at the clock hanging next to the door. "You go to bed in half an hour."

"But you don't go to bed until after midnight."

She felt heat creep up her neck. "That's weird Tobio, why do you know what time I sleep at?"

"Hinata told me."

Her ears perked. "How is he anyway? I haven't talked to him in a while."

"He's fine," Kageyama grumbled out. "Just practicing."

"Oh god," she winced, "Tobio, could you please articulate your words properly? I've had enough of trying to figure out what everyone here is saying with their mumbles."

"Yeah- Okay. Sorry."

"So, why'd you call?"

"I was," he paused, "bored."

A second of silence passed between them.

"Oh, I see how it is. You only see me as a source of entertainment."

"No, I was bored, and I was," he paused, "I was thinking of you."

"Creepy," she said, feeling her face flush red. "Don't you have extra special and talented people to be practicing with?"

"... I did..."

Emiko cackled. "Don't tell me that you're intimidated and can't make friends."

"I can make friends," he snapped.

"Sure you can Tobio. And I can fly."

"I shouldn't have called you," she could feel his glare through the phone, "We're all grounded from talking to you for a week."

"That was a smart choice."

"Oi." He heard the drawn-out sigh from her side. "What's wrong?"

"I just want to come back home," she admitted. Emiko buried her head in her chest, hugging the phone to her ear as she closed her eyes.

"What's wrong?"

"Everything. It feels like the universe is against me. It's like they decided to torture me for the crimes the Demon Queen committed."

"Your mom is a criminal?"

"Exactly!" She fell on her back. "Get this, the Captain and Vice-Captain hate me so much that they have convinced the entire team to ignore me. They rip their water bottles from my hands. They walk into me. Then there are the fangirls who attack me at every chance they get. I hate it here. It sucks because of the promise I made to Ennoshita and it sucks because Mrs. Suna is so sweet and kind. I just- Urgh! I just want to come home."

"Don't give up," he answered in a soft voice. "Just seven more days. Don't give up."

She sniffled and wiped her nose with her sleeve. "Yeah. When do you go back?"

"Three days."

"You're lucky."

"I can text Miya-san."

"No," she shook her head, "if you do that, I'll never be able to show my face there again. It's bad enough I went off on them for wanting Mirae here instead of me. If you do that, they'll never let me live it down."

"But I thought they specifically asked for you?"

"No, they saw Yachi at nationals last year and wanted her so they could harass her. But Yachi wasn't invited by the program. When they found out it could have been Mirae instead, they lost their minds. Rightfully so I guess because it's Mirae and who wouldn't want her?"

A pause.

"I wouldn't," he answered.

Emiko felt her heart lurch in her chest. Her eyes widened and before she could stutter out a response, he coughed.

"Akaashi-san told me about this thing called the _bro-code_ and Tsukishima has already made his move on Mirae. So technically speaking, everyone who is friends with Tsukishima can't want Mirae."

"You," she groaned, "Tobio you are an idiot."

"You're the idiot," he snapped back.

"I'm not the one who failed two exams."

"Shut-up," he mumbled. She heard him rummage on his side of the call and flop down presumably on his bed. "What about those fangirls?"

"You mean the gremlin-looking freaks?"

"Sure. What is up with them? Are they bothering you?"

"Kind of. I was going to ignore them, but that's not working out. They're all convinced I want to date the boys on the volleyball team."

He paused. "Don't get mad, but I have a question."

She sighed. "Yeah?"

"Do you want to date them?"

"Do you want me to murder you before nationals Tobio?"

"You can't do that, Mirae would murder you."

"She is _my_ best friend!"

"Just answer me." He mumbled under his breath.

"No, I don't. I am literally here for seven more days. In what world does it make sense for me to try and get in a relationship with a boy from Hyogo when I'll be returning to Miyagi which is six hours away."

"Okay good. Now you tell them that."

"Really," she deadpanned. "Okay, and how many times have me and Mirae told Akira that you don't like her, but she still thinks she has a chance with you?"

"I don't know. A lot."

"Exactly. These types of girls only hear what they want to hear."

He cleared his throat and asked, "You remember that one girl at Kitagawa? The one who picked on Kindaichi?"

"Which one exactly? All the girls in our grade targeted him."

"The same one who was picking on me."

"She picked on me and Kunimi too," Emiko looked up at the ceiling. "Now that I'm thinking about it, I don't think she liked any of us."

"It started when Kunimi told her that she smelled weird."

"It wasn't his fault; she shouldn't have spilled milk on herself."

"You agreed with him. Then, you got me and Kindaichi to agree with you both."

"Hey, I had to protect him. And if I only defended him then she could have come after us. But having four people, that's gotta be hard to fight back against."

"You're forgetting that she ignored us three and instead tried to fight with Kindaichi."

"Right, that also happened a lot. But, you know, I tried to help him fight back, he just wouldn't listen."

"He was a nice guy. He felt bad about fighting girls."

"Not good enough. We should get together with Kindaichi and Kunimi and find out what school she goes to so she can apologize to him."

"For that to happen, I'd have to be friends with them."

Emiko nodded her head. She pulled the blankets over her body. "Tobio, do you think we can ever go back to how things were at Kitagawa?"

"What do you mean?"

"Do you think that the four of us can be friends again?" He didn't answer. She could tell that the question made him uncomfortable. "Never mind, forget what I said."

"But you meant something."

"Really?" She teased. "Tobio, since when do you think like this? You're supposed to be the dumb one."

"I'm trying to help you, but if you want, I can end the call."

"Wait- No. I'm sorry. Please help me."

"Even with the pretty girls of Kitagawa, you fought back. So, don't be sad. The Pretty Girl in the pink tutu that I remember never gave up."

She blushed. For the first time ever, that one comment, that stupid nickname had made her blush. She felt her heartbeat quicken and she pulled the blanket over her face to try and hide. "I'll try to remember that."

"Good."

Emiko glanced down at her phone, reading the time. "It's getting late, and you're probably tired from practice."

"You should also get some sleep. I'll call you again tomorrow night, maybe a little earlier so we can talk longer."

Her face burned red, but she could not stop the goofy smile that had made its way on her face. "Sure. Good night Tobio."

Outside her door, Suna turned away and walked down the stairs. He glanced down at his phone with a frown on his lips. He heard some things he knew he should not have.

He pulled up the group chat between him and his friends. He cut into an immature argument that Ginjima was for some reason or another participating in. A few seconds later, they replied with an _okay_ , _sure,_ and _I'll meet ya guys there._

The Miya twins lived one street away. By the time he had filled Inu's food bowl, the front door opened and the twins' voices echoed through the hall.

"-wasn't them, I'm telling ya I was there."

"Mind explaining the shoe-print?"

"Easy. They've got the same shoes."

Atsumu scoffed. "Not havin' this discussion with ya. Heya Sunarin."

"Yo."

"Hi twins."

"Should we get goin?" Osamu asked. He crouched down to pet Inu behind the ears.

Atsumu checked his phone. "Gin said he'll meet us there in a bit. He needs to wait till his Ma gets home."

"About that," he leaned against the table, anticipating the twins' reaction. "I'm inviting Suzuki."

Osamu stood up slowly. Atsumu blinked.

"No."

"Outta the question."

"Never."

"Listen to me," he rolled his eyes. "She's a guest in my house and a guest in our school. You've done nothing but harass her since she got here. I feel bad, alright? She was crying on the phone earlier, saying she missed home. You two might not care but if my Ma hears her crying, she'll get upset. I don't want my Ma upset."

"Mommy's boy, aren't ya Rin?"

"I am." He stepped forward holding Osamu's eye. "What are you gonna do about it?"

Atsumu tore them away from each other with a laugh. "Now, now, we're all friends here. 'Samu it doesn't matter if Suzuki comes with us. Just gives us more time to have fun with her."

"No more mean jabs." Suna shook his head. "If you're not gonna be nice, at least be tolerable."

"Yeah, yeah," Atsumu waved him off. "Where is she, anyway?"

He led the way upstairs, hearing the twins muttering in quick and snappy sentences. It was their usual form of dialogue when they didn't want other people to understand them and by some miracle, it worked. He could only hope they would not use this as an excuse to annoy Emiko even more.

He knocked on the door and waited. No response. He tried again, louder, but was met with silence.

"She's throwin' a fit, is she?" Osamu narrowed his eyes and pushed the door open.

Atsumu followed his brother into the room. "Have ya heard of privacy, 'Samu? She coulda been changin' or somethin'."

"Should'a responded then."

Suna rolled his eyes and walked in. He headed towards the washroom and knocked on the closed door calling out her name. She didn't respond.

"We don't haf time for this. She's playin' games, let'er be."

"Shut up 'Samu. Look." Atsumu pointed to the corner of her room. "Her clothes are still here, she wouldn't leave without 'em."

"Unless she's a weird one and ran away without clothes."

Suna stopped himself from retorting. A shiver ran down his spine and he frowned.

"Who left the window open? Stray cats can get in, dammit." He poked his head out the open window and froze.

Emiko was sitting on the roof and writing in a book. He strained his ears.

"I don't wanna be alive, I just wanna die today. I just wanna die."

His eyes grew wide. He turned around and said, "Suzuki's gonna commit suicide."

The twins lurched forward, pushing and shoving so they could poke their heads out the window.

"What-"

"-the hell?"

She closed the book and left it on the side. Slowly, she stood up and sighed. "And my life don't even matter."

"Oi, 'Samu,"

"Yeah, 'Tsumu?"

Using whatever twin telepathy they possessed, the twins backed up and grabbed the blanket off the bed. They disappeared out the room, their heavy but quick footsteps echoing down the stairs.

Suna climbed out the window, steadying himself on the roof. His eyes blurred with tears when the cold wind attacked his face. He did not retreat.

"Suzuki," he called, "please don't jump."

She mumbled in response, taking one step towards the edge of the roof.

"Suzuki, hey- Come on, be rational. You can't kill yourself. Isn't this a little too dramatic?"

He took a deep breath and lunged forward. He wrapped his arms around her waist and yanked.

At contact, Emiko shrieked. "What the hell are you doing?"

"What the hell am I doing?" he flinched, "What the hell are you doing? You're trying to commit suicide off my roof!"

"What are you talking about?" His grip tightened and her fight or flight instincts kicked in. Emiko resisted, using her weight to pull back. "Let go of me!"

The twins stopped in front of the yard and looked up.

Emiko and Suna were brawling on the roof, screaming threats and throwing fists. She was struggling.

"Sunarin s'fine!" Atsumu called up. He and Osamu grabbed the ends of the blanket, making a hammock. "We'll catch her if she jumps."

"What are you talking about? Let go of me!"

She kicked up her leg and aimed at his shin. He dodged.

"I can't let you make a crime scene in front of my house."

"Objectively speaking I do want to die but this isn't the way I want to go! Get off me!"

"Suzuki, stop, we're both going to fall!"

"Get off me!"

She managed to push him away and then raised her fists.

He stepped forward palms held out. "We can talk about this, let's go back inside."

"No."

"Why not?"

"I'm scared, you freak! Why'd you tackle me like that? Is this another prank you and the Miyas are trying to pull off?"

In the moment of hesitation, he grabbed her arm and pulled.

She buried her feet and used her weight to stay back.

"Just get back inside."

"No."

"Please."

"No."

"Don't make me throw you over my shoulder."

She narrowed her eyes and shifted her weight to the heels of her feet. As she tugged one more time to break free of his hold, he jolted forward and slipped on the ice patch on the roof.

It happened in slow motion. His body collided with hers and the weight sent them over the edge. They landed on the ground below with a hard thud.

"Oi 'Samu ya idiot! I told ya we should'a been standin' closer."

"Shut-up 'Tsumu."

The Miyas dropped the blanket and ran to where Suna had landed on Emiko who landed on the flower bed.

"Nice job Rin," Osamu scoffed, pulling him to his feet. "Ya killed her."

He patted the snow off his clothes. He glanced down at Emiko again and his eyes widened.

"You're on my mother's petunias! Suzuki get up, my Ma's gonna be devastated!"

"Seriously?" she snapped, crying in pain. "Are you serious right now? You broke my back and neck and rendered me paralyzed and you're worried about petunias?"

The twins grabbed her by her limbs, ignoring her scream. They began to waddle around the house to the front door with Suna following and lamenting the flowers. They nearly dropped her when they saw Mrs. Suna unloading groceries from her car.

"Hello everyone," she paused, furrowing her brows. "Why are the Miyas holding Emiko like that?"

"I've died," she groaned.

Atsumu was the first to recover. "We're playin' doctor. Sunarin is the nurse. 'Samu and I are pretendin' to carry Suzuki on a stretcher."

"All fun and games. It's fer our drama class. We're recreatin' a scene. From a play."

"Sounds exciting!" Mrs. Suna led the way inside the house. The boys shuffled past her and nearly slammed Emiko into a wall as they went upstairs.

"Will you be staying for dinner?" Mrs. Suna called.

The twins threw Emiko on the bed. She screamed again. Suna ran for the door and yelled back, "No thanks Ma! We're meeting up with Gin in a few!" then he locked the door.

The boys sighed in relief. When they were sure that Mrs. Suna was not coming upstairs, they turned to Emiko. She was left in an awkward position on the bed.

"This is yer fault," Osamu deadpanned. "Ya were contemplatin' suicide Suzuki, what'd ya expect him to do?"

"What?"

"Yeah, you were writin' a suicide note and mumblin' about wantin' to die."

"You idiots," she gave up on trying to make herself comfy. "I was listening to music and writing a to-do list."

"Why didn't you just say so?" Suna frowned. He moved to fix the pillows under her head. "Why'd you fight me?"

"Because a 700-pound boy tackled me and wouldn't let go. Forgive me for being scared."

"So you don't want to kill yourself?"

"No, you idiots I don't."

Atsumu clapped his hands and stood proudly. "If that's outta the way then up ya go, Suzuki. Gin's waitin' for us."

"I can't do that. Rintaro broke my back when he threw me off the roof."

"I didn't throw you off the roof."

"You did. Can one of you flip me on my stomach?"

Without warning, Osamu shoved her over. The boys covered their ears when she shrieked.

"I need Mirae. If I don't get Mirae in the next minute I will literally die." She pointed to her phone sitting on the bedside table. Suna dropped it in her hand and stood back, watching as she scrolled through her contacts. Finally, the line rang.

She picked up on the fourth ring. "Hello?"

"Mirae I have died. I have perished. This is my goodbye to you."

Without skipping a beat, she answered. "We're not that lucky, Emiko."

"Rude," she scoffed, "but I'm serious. This 700-pound guy tackled me off the roof and landed on top of me. I've broken my back."

There was a slight pause.

"Emiko what the hell were you doing on the roof?"

"I was thinking," she snapped, "you do it all the time!"

"Yes, because I'm not a danger to myself. I have control over my limbs. I don't randomly get possessed by whatever poltergeist seems to have claimed you."

"I did not call you to be bullied like this thank you very much. Oh, by the way, you're on speaker."

"Good," Mirae cut in, "I want to say thank you to whoever pushed her off. If possible, send me a picture of her in this state."

"Why are you so mean to me?" Emiko growled. "I am literally the victim here."

"Why am I so mean to you? Hey Emiko, do you remember our second day at Karasuno?"

"No?"

"When I walked into the gym and Tanaka spiked that volleyball that hit me in the face?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," she murmured, holding off on her suspicion.

"And remember when you flipped out your phone, took a picture, and said _ew her face is literally turning purple that's disgusting_? I know you still have that picture. I know you keep it in your blackmail file. So all I have to say is this is karma."

"Why are you so mean?" She squeaked and hid her face in the pillow. "I'm dying and you're worried about my blackmail folder? How does that make sense?"

Mirae sighed. "How high was the drop?"

"One hundred kilometres, easy."

"You're a freaking liar and I hope you really do break your back." There was shuffling on Mirae's side of the call and then the clicking sound of keyboard keys. "Okay, the typical height from the ground to a second-story roof is twenty feet. A drop like that isn't likely to kill you. I'd say check for swelling and apply some numbing cream. Don't dance and jump like you always do for a week or so."

"Ah-ha sure," Emiko glanced at Suna who was watching her, "you're just forgetting the fact that a 700-pound man landed smack on top of me."

"Rin's fat," Osamu murmured, giggling afterwards.

"Then go to a hospital or die. I don't know what you want from me. I am in Tokyo and you are in Hyogo. What do you expect me to do from all the way here?"

"Yell at him!" she demanded. "I have been bullied and abused, yell at all of them!"

"Goodbye Emiko."

"Wait-"

The line went dead.

Atsumu broke free from his trance. He smacked Osamu and hissed, "That was Ando! That was Mirae Ando! 'Samu, that was Ando!"

"I heard," the corners of his lips lifted, "and I like her style. We should get her on the phone more often."

"Shut-up. She likes me the best. Someone must be making her mad back at Itachiyama and I called at the wrong moment. Hey, Rintaro, can you grab the numbing cream from my bag? It's the white bottle."

"Uh, Suzuki?" he asked, returning with the small carry-on bag. He had unzipped it and was rummaging through. "What the hell is this? Why are there creepy-faced smiling stickers in this to-go bag?"

"Oh, that's an emergency kit that Mirae made me. See she's a germaphobe so she always has hand sanitizers and napkins. She decorated mine with stickers because she thinks I'll be more attracted to them and more inclined to use them. Wait, did you see the small sanitary wipes? How cute are those?"

"I want it." Osamu leaned over and snatched the wipes.

"What- No. Give those back, Mirae got them specifically for me."

"Ya haven't even opened them. They're mine."

"I'll ask Mirae to make you one and mail it over."

Suna grabbed the wipes from Osamu and glared. "Stop egging her on. My Ma's gonna hear and then she'll be upset."

He handed Emiko the numbing cream.

"It still doesn't explain why ya have numbin' cream in yer bag, Suzuki."

"Mirae says you'll never know when you'll need it. She has a point."

At that second, Atsumu pushed himself away from where he was leaning on the wall and yelped. "She blocked me!" he cried, waving his phone in the air. "I just asked to follow her on Insta, 'n she blocked me!"

"Shut up Tsumu."

Emiko pressed her face into the pillow and lifted the back of her shirt. Her voice muffled as she asked, "How bad is it?"

"I ain't lookin'."

"Me neither."

"What?" She hissed and looked over her shoulder.

The twins had clamped their hands over their eyes. Suna was facing the door.

"I'm not gonna look at my temporary sister's back, that's weird."

"A girl needs her privacy. I ain't lookin'."

"I will not expose my virgin eyes to such scandalous images."

Emiko gasped. "I am not scandalous!"

"Still not doin' it."

"I ain't lookin'."

"If you losers are going to be big babies about this," she growled and pushed her body up, "then I'll just ask Mrs. Suna to put it on my back. That's right how do you like me now Rintaro?"

He spun around. His eyes were shut tight. He reached out and aimlessly felt around the room until his hands touched Atsumu's arm. Then, he pushed him towards the bed. "Take one for the team."

"What?" Atsumu squeaked, "No! Why does it hafta be me?"

"Careful Atsumu," she spat through clenched teeth, "I may have a contagious disease."

"What- you have a what?"

"Chill, she's playin' with ya."

Atsumu turned to his brother. "Yer just sayin' that to make fun of me! Suzuki, do you have a contagious disease?"

"No you freaking idiot I don't!"

Suna grabbed Osamu's arm and pushed him as well. "Hurry up, Gin's waiting on us."

"I ain't doin' it."

"Seriously?"

"I ain't doin' it."

"I'll buy you whatever you want to eat from the arcade."

"Deal."

He faced the door again. The twins approached her from either side of the bed. Atsumu held the numbing cream and squeezed a coin's worth into his palm. Osamu pinched the back of Emiko's shirt, refusing skin-to-skin contact. They nodded at each other and closed their eyes.

"It's cold." She shivered at the sensation. For someone who was so aggressive and mean, Atsumu's fingers were gentle. He rubbed the cream in steady, circular motions to apply an even layer.

Not even a second later, Osamu broke the silence.

"'Tsumu's lookin.'"

"I'm not!"

"Atsumu, stop looking at my temporary sister's back."

"My eyes are closed!" he snapped, "Samu's probably the one lookin'!"

"I ain't."

"Then how'd ya know if I was lookin'? Which, to be clear, I wasn't!"

"You twins are such creeps. I'm telling Kita-san next time he visits."

"Rin, believe me, Tsumu was lookin'."

"I wasn't!"

"Enough!" she pushed herself up and growled through the pain. She pointed at the door. "Get out, both of you. I do not see how putting cream on someone's back takes three people. I can't believe I'm saying this right now, but Atsumu is the only one I trust!"

Osamu flicked his brother's forehead and scampered off the bed. He grabbed Suna's arm and guided him out of the bedroom. When the door closed, Emiko lifted the back of her shirt.

What surprised her the most was how light his touch was against her skin.

"You're being surprisingly quiet," she whispered.

"Yer back," he mumbled, "the bruises are yellow 'n green. Must hurt."

"It's fine. I've been through worse."

"Yeah?"

She nodded. "One time I tripped in the living room and our robotic vacuum cleaner thought my hair was dirt, so it zoomed in and almost tore my hair off my scalp. Another time my dad forgot the child lock on the car doors and I unbuckled my seat belt, opened the door, and jumped out of the car just as we slowed to stop at a red light. Oh! And there was that time I faceplanted off the stage in the gym back at Karasuno. I almost chipped a tooth!"

"Yer quite the rebel, Suziki," he laughed. "Still, I think I take the points fer dumbest accidents. When I was five, I chased a cat onto a highway. Turns out it wasn't a cat, just a plastic bag flyin' in the wind. Later when I was seven, I spiked a volleyball and it came back to whack me in the face. I gave myself a nosebleed. Just a month ago I got outta bed, tripped over my blankets and sprained my ankle."

Emiko snorted. She did not know if he was doing this to distract her from the pain or trying to show off in a silly way but whatever reason he had, she appreciated it.

"If Mirae was your manager, you'd drive her insane."

"Um- 'bout that. Listen, Suzuki, I need t'apologize for earlier. Fer this whole week, actually. I didn't mean to hurt ya this much. Maybe just enough to shake yer confidence so when ya go back to Karasuno, and ya tell Tobio-kun 'n Shoyou-kun 'n the others 'bout us, they'd get intimidated. I didn't mean fer it to go this far. 'N, yeah, I admire yer friend. It would've been cool if she came here but I don't despise ya."

"That's somewhat of a relief to hear," she confessed. "It's tough being compared to someone like Mirae. Like, I get it, she's awesome. She's smart, likeable, talented, honest, and everything you'd want in a best friend. I'm glad she's my best friend, but it still hurts when that's who everyone's comparing me to."

"I understand ya. People always compare me and 'Samu- which is understandable 'cause we're twins but the way they do it makes me feel like I'll never catch up to him. Like he was born better and stronger than I was."

"No one's born better or stronger. At least, I don't believe so."

"Me neither," he grinned. "It's what ya do 'n how ya make yerself better. It's why I don't care 'bout those people and what they say anymore. I know what I'm worth, 'n I'm proud of myself fer my accomplishments 'cause I worked hard. Ya shouldn't care either, Suzuki. S'long as yer happy and doin' yer best."

"Yeah."

Emiko pulled her shirt down. She turned around to thank him. They visibly flinched when Osamu yelled from under the door. His fingers wiggled through the creeping.

"Oi, 'Tsumu, yer havin' yer moment!"

"His what?" Suna asked.

"A moment! 'Tsumu's havin' a moment!"

"My moment," Atsumu's bottom lip quivered. His eyes shined and he grinned at Emiko. "I'm havin' my moment!"

"Wait, you've been waiting to have a moment?" she scrambled forward and grabbed his shoulders. "I've been waiting to have my moment too! I've been waiting forever!"

"Suzuki we're havin' a moment!"

"My brother's havin' a moment!"

"What the hell are you three going off about? Oi, Atsumu, you better not be making a move on my temporary sister."

"Shut-it Rin, 'Tsumu's havin' a moment!"

Emiko and Atsumu threw their arms around each other and cried. "We're having a moment!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well then, that was one crazy roller coaster ride, wasn't it. We hope you enjoyed reading this week's post!


End file.
